If you think you need to have colorful characters or glorious heroes before you can write an engaging family history, then you will never take the time to write about your farmers, bakers, milkmen, and day laborers. If you think your family tree is full of boring, ordinary people, then today, you need to realize their narrative is more interesting than you first believed. Ordinary People Deserve to Have Their Family Story Recorded Question: How can I write about my ancestor when they’re not very interesting? When I ask people during genealogy conferences to tell me about one of their ancestors, they often tell me about their famous, criminal, heroic, or wealthy relatives. During my writing workshops, people balk when I ask them to write about a recent relative, preferably someone they knew. Why does that stir such negative emotions? Because often these relatives were farmers, bakers, milkmen, and day laborers. They lived. They begat children. They died. And there wasn’t much in between. Oh, ye of little faith! I have written before that ordinary people's stories make for extraordinary family stories that you should record. Children who know all of the stories about their ancestors have a better sense of who they are. So don't leave out the folks you think are too dry to document in paragraph form. A Writing Workshop Convert During a three-week writing workshop of mine, a participant named Pam felt her father would fit the criteria I set out. Unfortunately, Pam thought the next three weeks would be a waste of her time because her father was boring. He was so boring that her daughter asked her why she picked this dull dude to discuss. Before the final class began, Pam was ecstatic. She had written two typed single-spaced pages about her drab dad. Not only that, she was surprised to see how interesting her boring father really was. How to Write an Engaging Family History About a Dull Relative If you want this same experience, follow these five steps and pick up my free guide, 5 Steps to Quickly Write About Your Ancestors. Start With the Dry Facts Add Personal Memories Add Family Stories or Legends Don't Whitewash the Past Add Historical Context Start With the Dry Facts Let's face it, the first step to writing about any family member is to get the facts on paper and into sentence format. On this blog, I have shared several examples of how to do this. You can read how I wrote birth, marriage, and death stories to draw inspiration. You'll find more writing samples listed at the end of this post. I've also given several workshops on the topic. You can access two through the link Use MyHeritage Records to Quickly Discover and Write the Story of Your Ancestors and Write About the Stars in Your Family Tree. Record by record, turn your facts into sentences and paragraphs. If the story still feels dry after you follow my family history writing methods, don't worry. It's time for step 2. Add Personal Memories Since you want to write an engaging family history, you need to add details that a traditional genealogy narrative lacks. You need to add personal memories or family stories. If you had personal interactions with the relative, include any memory you have of that person, no matter how small. Each dull, ordinary detail is a treasure to a reader. For instance, do you connect with the following scene: Each night after tucking the children into bed, ma and pa would go down to the living room. They would turn on the record player and slow dance to their favorite tunes. After news arrived that her eldest brother Harry died while serving in combat in the Vietnam War, ma could not be consoled. While pa tucked the children into bed, ma sobbed on the living room couch. After saying the Lord's Prayer beside each child's bed, pa returned to the living room and turned on the record machine. The nightly routine comforted ma's heart as she and pa swayed for hours that night. Do you have a similar small moment that you can add to the history you wrote in step one? I have few memories of my grandma Helen. The one I vividly remember is her making an amazing baked potato casserole. For her picky-eating granddaughter, this dish was heavenly. After baking the casserole, she carried it from her galley kitchen to the table in the living/dining room. As she carried the dish, I thought she would drop it because she was wearing thick, orthopedic shoes and had shaky hands. Thankfully she made the short walk, and I got to eat the dish. Although I have few memories of Helen, she becomes real in that one moment. Many memories are less detailed than the ones above. Here are a few stories without a lot of specifics. Grandma Beth was a woman who rarely spoke an unkind thing about anyone else. She quietly served where she could and cared for their home. Her kids didn’t realize think they were poor, though they went without many luxuries. She made the most of what she had. Her best dish was her delicious cookies! Grandpa died when I was about ten, but the one thing I remember about him was that he shared his grapes with me. The first example summarized character details that you won't find out about your boring relative in any genealogical documents. The second is no longer than one sentence. Both have value. In fact, I love the grape memory because I never lived near my grandparents. I would have loved to have had that small connection to my grandfathers. Personal memories immediately transform your dry, boring relative into a real human. What details can you add to your stories? Add Family Legends Please don't call the citation police on me, but I disagree with many of my genealogy colleagues one detail. They'll often say, "If you can't find a source for a legend, you can't record it. " Family stories and family legends, no matter how wrong, are a part of our legacy. The further back in time we're writing about a relative, the less personal memories we have and the more family stories and legends that abound. Include the legends in your family history. But wait. You might say, "I don't want you to push forward a narrative that the family legend is true when it's unproven or false." Please add it to the story. Why? Because it's part of the heritage, those people believed and affected how folks interacted with one another. In my family, we have a legend about how my immigrant ancestor Joseph Geiszler died. I have disproven most of the details, even though it was written in a Geiszler Family Scrapbook. So how can you include the false account? You use a few simple words, "The family believed" or "Family legend suggests." Either of these two qualifiers can help you differentiate between what is proven and what isn't. And then you can debunk the stories and legends. Don't Whitewash the Past It's so tempting to hide an individual's unsavory aspects when you're writing their family story. However, you do not want to offer a false impression to your readers. Suppose a man neglected his family by working, drinking, or spending too much. Add that to the account. If a person lied, cheated, stole, persecuted, terrorized, abandoned, or any other heinous details, include them in your history. Often the stories of boring ancestors result from excluding the unflattering details and events in their lives. By including the details in their lives, you can reveal so much. Grandpa Paul was a mean man who was better off left alone. He spent long hours at the office, went hunting in his free time, and watched TV. Does anyone wonder how he became that way? Grandpa Paul's father had died after getting drunk and getting hit by a trolley car. Paul and his brother Frank were arrested for vandalism during a drunken rampage. Their arrest and punishment were documented in the local newspaper. After that, Grandpa Paul worked for the railroad and provided for his family. When he drank, it was only at home, so his property destruction days came to an end. His son Berton died during World War II. He had been so proud of Berton's service since Grandpa county serve his country during WWI because he was too overweight. Since Grandpa heard the news of Paul's death, he had spent most of his time working or watching TV, which his grandchildren preferred because when he spoke, he was almost always angry. Notice how Paul becomes more than a mean man. If we only wrote the first two sentences, we wouldn't begin to suspect the reasons for his behavior and anger. While all the additional details can't explain away everything, we can catch a glimpse of his life and choices. If they owned slaves, told racists jokes, or did anything that modern eyes would find oppressive. Write the stories down. Be as objective and unbiased as possible to see how the successive generations changed (or didn't). In the truth lies the stories of healing and hope for the future. Add Historical Context Our ancestors lived in a certain time and specific place. What do you know about that place? What do you know about the times they lived? Imagine the mothers-to-be after two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in 2001. What were they feeling? What were their worries? Was their child entering a drastically dangerous world? How would they protect the younglings? Would the babies sense the anxiety of their mothers? I picked a modern circumstance because many of you will understand the event and how it impacted the news. The event affected conversations with family, friends, and strangers. Worship services focused on violence and stress. Anxiety was felt by many, but you can see how it relates to family history when you think about the life events personally. When a couple married before, during, or shortly after a war, how did that impact them? When a woman gave birth shortly after her husband enlisted in the Civil War, how did that play on her emotions? When writing about your ancestors, examine the time and place when they were born, married, or died. Examine events when they had children or when they buried loved ones. When you examine the world around our ancestors, every person’s story has a new layer of interest. And that makes your forgettable ancestor more remarkable. Your Family Histories Do Not Have to Be Boring Notice I didn't share with you commonly championed tips on writing engaging family histories. Notice I didn't talk about your audience, your format, or any themes. These strategies are not helpful until you complete the first draft of your family story. Then, you move on to the editing phase to polish up your manuscript. Did you know there are five steps to take your draft to publication? Within those stages are the audience, format, and themes. The best way you can write a non-boring family history about an ancestor you think might be dull watching grass grow is to capture stories, no matter how small. Think of it this way. As a descendant, wouldn’t you give great sums to know small details about your ancestors, no matter how small? Discover More Family History Writing Tips and Examples: There are so many more tips and techniques I want to share with you about writing family histories. Be sure to click on any of the links through this article or any blog posts and videos listed below. But also sign up for my writing newsletter and get the free guide: 5 Steps to Quickly Write About Your Ancestors. Writing Example: Response to a Question Writing Example: Photo Essay Writing Writing Example: Memory Snippets How to Write a Family History About a Missing Father How to Write About a Large Family When Someone Dies How to Write a Family History About a Criminal Ancestor? Should I Include That? - Family History Writing Tips 5 Tips for Writing About Your Immigrant Ancestor How to write about the sensitive stories in your genealogy research

Adding family context at the time on an ancestor’s death makes for adds setting, tension, and mood. But how do write about an ancestor the time an ancestor dies when they have a large family? Add Family Context to the Death of an Ancestor In my popular family history writing workshops based on the book A Recipe for Writing Family History, I encourage people to extra details from original documents for each life event and then spice up their story using context. One aspect of context when an ancestor dies involves identifying the parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren of the recently departed. Who survives your ancestors is an important part of their story, even more so than the fact the focal ancestor passed away. One overwhelmed workshop attendee thought this could rapidly get out of hand. How do I write about a large family at the time of an ancestor’s death? The workshop attendee asked her question in this way: “How do I write about a very large family? At the time of my father’s death, he had had three wives and 23 children. How do I write the death story following a recipe for writing family history with so many people?" Though it seems overwhelming to name 23 children, their spouses, and their children at the time of a patriarch's passing, your ancestor’s story is incomplete without their names and ages. You could choose the path of least resistance and simply tally how many people survived an ancestor. Then you could write about the ancestor’s cause of death and where they are buried. But, your story is genealogically insufficient if you exclude the names of the survivors. How many times have you wondered if an ancestor had additional children, siblings, or spouses? How many times have you NOT questioned the existence of other relationships only to discover your great-grandfather had a second wife and additional children? How many times has someone overlooked a critical relationship because someone took a short cut in writing? The Benefits of Writing All the Details About a Large Family Story I recently discovered a second-wife for a great-grandfather that transformed how I viewed his daughter’s life story as a young adult. If someone had taken the time to identify the second wife, I would have better understand the great-grandfather and his daughter. For more writing tips, pick up a copy of A Recipe for Writing Family History, using this link: Order Book. What happens if you have to write about a large family number 100 survivors or more? Just write about the large family. Identify the living the spouse(s) and their ages. Name the surviving children, their ages, and their spouse(s) Identify grandchildren and great-grandchildren by name and age As a bonus, add where everyone was living. By including everyone, you can then add a greater perspective to your ancestor’s story. Imagine a funeral where the attendance numbered 100, all of which were family members. What if those 100+ relatives only attended because they hoped to make money from the will? What happened if the exclusion of some of these relatives caused the family to erupt and go their separate ways. How said that so many relatives no longer speak? What if those 100 relatives plus 200 friends and neighbors had trouble finding a venue big enough to hold the funeral services? What if the deceased had 100+ surviving relatives, but only two showed up for the funeral? All of these scenarios come into sharp view when you write about the entire large family. ↪️ Do you want to write a family history book? Grab your copy of this FREE Writing Guide: Write About the Large Family, Even If The Job is Taxing There is power in telling who was alive when a life event happened, especially a death. Don’t exclude someone because the list of relatives is ‘too long.’ That’s the point. It’s a very long list, and you don’t want to exclude anyone. You wouldn’t want someone to exclude you from the death story of a loved one simply because there were too many to name.

Do you have walls and shelves filled with family knick-knacks and keepsakes? Do you have attics and closets with heirlooms preserved with bubble wrap and specialty boxes? It’s time you spend a little time thinking and recording the meaning behind each family treasure before they become clutter and junk. Heirlooms have the power to bind families together across time. But when the details regarding the objects are forgotten, the family treasure often heads into the trash pile. Prevent legacy loss by recording the unique stories behind the household items in your collection. In my video, Where is Family History Hiding, I mentioned the four places where your genealogical clues are hiding. Warning: they’re usually not online! If you missed that video, check it out here: Watch this video on YouTube. Once you have collected, discovered, and corralled your family treasures, you’ll want to record the stories, memories, and information so that it won’t be forgotten. However, many people, perhaps you, experience writer’s block. What should you record? Let me demonstrate what you should record with two examples: Did you know…? You can subscribe to Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel so you can stay up to date with my new How-To Videos & Tutorials! Click here to subscribe now so we can stay in touch and you won’t miss out on anything! BOY SCOUT MEMBERSHIP CARD If you have a Boy Scout of America membership card that mentions your father or grandfather and dated in the 1930s, what information should you record? First, extract the information from the card and then expand upon that information. Include any stories you’ve heard or were told about your Boy Scout’s experiences. Do a quick Google search to find the requirements, ranks, and advancement requirements were for a Boy Scout from that time period. See if you can track down information about the council or the troop your ancestor was a member of. See if the council listed on the membership card has a current office that might have chapter histories. So, record what you know but expand upon it. Then write a blog post, create a scrapbook page, write a photo journal entry, or record a video about the discoveries. Photographing family treasures helps you preserve your family history when you’re facing downsizing situations. To learn more read, Order your copy of Downsizing with Family History in Mind through this link https://amzn.to/2lMAfrD. EASTERN STAR RING Perhaps you inherited jewelry from a mother or grandmother and discovered an Eastern Star ring. What should you record? If the owner of the ring is still alive, ask them about their participation in the group, why they joined, what offices they held, what events they enjoyed attending, and who their friends were from the group, If the ring’s original owner is deceased, learn what events the Eastern Star chapter hosted during the years your grandmother was a member. You may not know for certain if she attended the events, but you should record what was available. ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free Writing Guide: 5 Steps to Quickly Write About Your Ancestors 5 Steps To Record the Story Behind a Family History Treasure I have five quick tips that will help you record the stories behind your family heirlooms: Be Obvious: Who did the item belong to? What is the object? Identify the Significance: Why do we still have it? What does it tell us about the original owner? Trace the Inheritance: Who were the curators of these items throughout time? Explain the Traditions: What traditions were the items involved in? What is the tradition of who owns the item? Detail the Unknown History: Record if the item was saved from destruction or the funny stories related to this item. The best way to ensure that your family treasures are honored and cared for in the future is to record the stories behind the pieces. Then use the stories about the keepsake and photos of the items in family history projects such as written histories, scrapbooks, or video documentaries. You increase the value of your treasures by showcasing and preserving their stories. Learn More About Family History Story Writing How to Write the Family History Stories That Lack Documentation How to Preserve the Treasures in Your Home Record the Love Stories That Are Worth Remembering To learn more about how to uncover the stories behind your heirlooms, read this: http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/six-steps-to-heirloom-history.

Your relatives lead boring lives, right? Do your dead ancestors have nothing worth writing about? If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second, I have two words for you. Your ancestor’s life sketch or biography instantly becomes more fascinating when you add a little historical context to the mundane facts for their existence. Book available at Amazon.com In my book A Recipe for Writing Family History, Step 6 focuses on adding Fun Facts to the documented details of an ancestor’s life. Historical context, such as weather, local and world events, pop culture references, and economic averages add flavor to an otherwise bland retelling of the genealogical details. Good stories have a clearly defined setting, but if you can’t describe the physical view of a location, what’s the next best thing? Many of us cannot describe the landscape, sounds, and seasons pertaining to our ancestors. We can’t visualize what they saw, heard, smelled, or tasted. We certainly can’t imagine what worried them or excited the local town chatterboxes. But if you add the historic events from their lives to your writing, your stories magically transform. Did you know…? You can subscribe to Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel so you can stay up to date with my new How-To Videos & Tutorials! Click here to subscribe now so we can stay in touch and you won’t miss out on anything! Imagine if your ancestor was living in England when Napolean escaped from Elba. Do you remember what year that was? Did you know it’s the same time period of General Andrew Jackson and the campaign against the American Indians? Oh, and it’s the continuation of the War of 1812 between America and Britain. It’s also about the time that Jane Austen published “Emma”. Suddenly, your ancestor’s wedding or the birth of their child in America, France, or England has new depth and dimension? Our ancestors lived on Earth at a time and a place. That time and place impacted the decisions that our ancestors made and the lifestyle that they lived. Don’t believe this to be true? Let’s use an example. Who was Elvis Presley? If you said “The King of Rock and Roll,” either you grew up listening to him or hearing your parents talk about him. If you said, a famous singer, then you’re a little too young to remember who he was BUT Google and YouTube have you covered in learning more. Once you can picture Elvis’s music, hairstyles, and clothing, you have a reference point. You can now connect movies and fashion trends to that time and place. Granted, you need to define whether you’re talking about Jailhouse Rock Elvis (the younger years) or Moody Blue (his last album) but once you know the time and place, you can then picture the other controversies surrounding his days. ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free Writing Guide: 5 Steps to Quickly Write About Your Ancestors In his early years, he appeared on black and white television attempting to shake his hips. Part of his body is cut off during the broadcast because hip-shaking was so frowned upon by older members of society.  Those two facts tell us a lot about the society that our ancestors lived in at the time of Elvis. Would your ancestor likely be a hip-shaker or a parent who said the youth of the country are losing their souls (or some such thing?) The Moody Blue Elvis wore disco, skin-tight white jumpsuits with sparkles. He seemed depressed, and so did the country as it was finishing its engagement in Vietnam, and the drug culture was on the rise (as it took his life).  Would your ancestor be involved in these cultural fads or be impacted by them? See, one piece of historical context and you can help someone know the time and place and the current events in the minds of your ancestors? See how knowing the past events might help you understand why a migrated to another country? Historic events also help you picture the technology of the day and how that technology impacted your ancestor’s lives. Imagine how the cotton gin began to transform the southern states of America. Imagine how the railroad changed the landscape of England or continental Europe. Imagine how the invention and use of rifles and pistols changed military campaigns throughout the world. But the invention of the washing machine, microwave, or radio also had dramatic impacts on your ancestor’s lives as well. Adding historical events adds multiple senses to your ancestor’s lives Identify what happened during a day or year, identify who the leaders were, and what technology was spreading throughout the land.  These factors add drama to your family histories. Don’t forget to add local, national, and global context. YOUR TURN: What historical context do you like to add to your stories? What resources do you have for finding the context? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Congratulations! You have found a published genealogy featuring your ancestor. However, before you accept everything within the book, learn how to read the information critically. By so doing, you will improve your genealogy research and write engaging family histories. My Experience With Published Family Histories My grandmother is an adopted daughter of parents whose ancestral line extends back to Colonial America. This research and could connect me with cousins who were Colonial Dames. Except for that whole adoption thing, I could be a member of DAR. Yet, that doesn’t really matter. 😥 Regardless, my grannie loved her Marvin family line. Anyone with ties to Hartford, Connecticut in the 1630s, just might be related to her multiple-great grandparents and uncle, Reinhold and Matthew Marvin. They were two brothers originally from Great Bentley, Essex County, England. As such, Marvin descendants believe that reliable research is available into the 1600s. So, all the genealogy research is complete. Right? There is a book available on FamilySearch detailing the early descendants of the brothers. But, have you read the book? Um. It’s about as enjoyable to read as a fact-filled textbook. Sure the facts are excellent, but reading a textbook is not something you curl up with for storytime. Incidentally, I often read these old family histories and have so many questions. Questions to Ask as You Critically Read a Published Family History Critically read a family history for anything that does not make sense. Some accounts have details that need further explanation, such as the following: Where was the roller rink where you met my father? What was a bobsled in Ontario, Canada? How do you pronounce that name? Why is he on a track team in Texas when all other events of his life were from New Mexico? Who is De Veres? What is a ‘snuff box,’ and why was it named in a will? Often locations, people, and objects are mentioned in family histories without further explanations. The reader is left wondering, “huh?” That’s where you come in. Critically re-read those old family histories and make notes (or mark up copies) when you encounter such situations. ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free guide: 10 Online Genealogy Resources You Have to Try Example of Critically Reading a Published Family History Let me show you what I mean with two pages from the Matthew and Reinhold Marvin book. (Descendants of Reinold and Matthew Marvin of Hartford, Ct., 1638 and 1635: Sons of Edward Marvin, of Great Bentley, England, by George Franklin Marvin William Theophilus Rogers Marvin, 1901.) In examining this sample, here are a few things that I would like clarified quickly. How old were Edward and Margaret Marvin when Reinold was born? How long had they been married? Did either have previous relationships? What is Reinold’s birth order? Where is Great Bently, England? What are the culture and geography like? What religion was St Mary’s church affiliated with? What historical events were taking place in 1594? Was it a peaceful time in England? Who was on the throne? Where is Lyme, Connecticut? How many people lived in Lime? Who were the rulers? Why was Lyme important? How old was Reinold when he died? Where did he marry Marie ___? Perhaps there is little to go off record-wise, but did they marry in England or Connecticut? What? Reinhold’s wife was suspected of witchcraft? This detail certainly deserves more investigation! Lyme isn’t Salem. Do you mean the Salem Witch Trials were more widespread? How much land did Reinhold inherit? Was it good land? Was the land entailed? Were there tenant farmers associated with the land? How far apart is Moyses or Mose from Great Bently? John Turner and Reinold were overseers in 1625. Why is this recorded in St. Mary’s Register? What is an overseer? Who is John Turner? Who are these additional men mentioned? What are all the church positions listed? What was a 'church warden'? Regarding the servant burials, how many servants did Reinold have? What jobs would they have done? Regarding the 1636 Tax What is 'Tendringe Hundred'? How much are two shillings and sixpence worth? Why was the tax unpopular? How many shares did Reinold have in the “Essex Ship Money”? Who were the other investors? What percentage of the shares did Reinold have? Notice how many details need further explanations in these two brief pages? I can go on, and on, and on. The purpose of this activity is not to necessarily answer all the questions right now. Instead, re-reading a published story is to find what needs further explanation. You can accomplish this critical read in 15-minute sessions for a few days or weeks. For more ideas that can help you evaluate records in your genealogy research, read the following: Evaluating Evidence While Researching Your Family Tree Evaluating a Family Story for Accuracy Avoid These Mistakes When Analyzing a Family Legend Follow Up With The Author If the original author is still alive, you can send them your ‘Please explain further’ list of questions to help them improve their writings. If the original author is deceased, you can seek out answers in the future or turn the questions over to other family researchers. The beauty of critically reading previous works is that these earlier editions of our family histories can become better like a peer-reviewed paper in academia. The point is, don’t think you’re too busy to do genealogy. Instead, find something you can do that fits into your schedule and interests. Your contribution is priceless.

Online genealogy is a wonderful way to collaborate, and I highly encourage you to put your trees online and take advantage of the research hints that many database services provide. I love receiving clues about new-to-me records about my ancestors. I am especially ecstatic when there is a newly discovered photo of my ancestor in my hint queue. What I cringe at are pictures of trees, flowers, and flags! Why not use MyTreeTags Instead. STOP posting these unnecessary graphics on Ancestry.com. You’re wasting the hinting feature resources and causing a lot of eye-rolling over here. Notice this profile of my 5th great-grandmother Amelia Mathews born 1741 in Pennsylvania and died about 1816 in Virginia. Truthfully, Amelia is on TOO MANY family trees, in conjunction with her husband, Robert Dickey. Many of the trees are poorly researched and conflicting. I don’t know if I’ll ever be interested in investigating this headache of a line. But, Ancestry likes to send me hints for Amelia, so I peek every so often. The hints for my grandmother on Ancestry.com Oh, joy! Look at these fabulous suggestions. Let the sighs and eye-rolling commence. Seriously, why are these images put on the profiles of our ancestors at Ancestry.com? Did you know…? You can subscribe to Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel so you can stay up to date with my new How-To Videos & Tutorials! Click here to subscribe now so we can stay in touch and you won’t miss out on anything! State Flower of Pennsylvania Every profile before the rise of photography does not need a picture. Adding the state flower Pennsylvania to an ancestor’s profile is meaningless. The state flower for this state wasn’t discussed until the 1930s! That’s over 180 years after Amelia was born! And, she was living in Virginia when she died. Wouldn’t the Virginia flower be an appropriate choice as well? Do we know that Amelia liked said flower? Random flower for Amelia Oh, look! Now she has a random flower that the person uploading the flower did not share why they used the flower. At least the ‘state flower of Pennsylvania’ caption has some reasonable sense. But this? ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free guide: 10 Online Genealogy Resources You Have to Try When I prepared to share this post counseling you to not share unrelated photos of your ancestors on Ancestry.com, I hadn’t expected the third graphic hint for Amelia. I’m so confused why this is on Ancestry.com for Amelia What do you mean “The End”? The end of the line? The end of the discussion of her lineage? The end of what? If this is a note to yourself in your research, why is this photo public? Erg. Poor Amelia, she’s “The End” but yet only the beginning. Where do I start with flags and seals? This ancestor lived in Virginia, but guess what! The flag shown here was not adopted at the state flag until 1860. Good thing because the state would be entering the Civil War a few years later and would need a banner to hold aloft to rally the troops. But my ancestor with these images? Yeah. He didn’t live during the Civil War. So, why are these flags used? He didn’t hold Virginia public office. He didn’t create the seal or the flag. Therefore, my ancestors should not have these images in his media gallery. They do nothing to tell his story because it’s a symbol not seen during his lifetime. Please avoid adding or uploading flags for your ancestor’s profile unless they have a story that directly relates to its creation. I mean, if your ancestor raised the banner of Iwo Jima, then maybe that flag should appear in their media gallery. But for most people, they don’t have a direct connection to the state flags so, don’t post them! Unspecified Ship Images on Ancestry.com While I’m talking about my ancestors not being flowers, trees, or flags, let’s discuss the ships people attach to their profiles. A random boat as a graphic in the media gallery on Ancestry.com is pointless if there is no ship name connected to the said image. And it’s also visually misleading to add a ship graphic that likely did not resemble the ship your ancestor rode on across the ocean. Tell the visual truth, please. Sure ship photos are added to suggest to the profile creator/viewer that the person in question was an immigrant. In fact, some people make it clear that the ship graphic has that message. My ancestor is an immigrant ‘generic’ media graphic However, such graphics are not unique. When I view a portrait family tree and find these generic ship symbols as photos, it is redundant and wastes printed ink to the published trees. If you do discover a visual representation of the ship on which your ancestor sailed, then, by all means, add that photo and then use the caption feature to explain the connection. Otherwise, please stop adding these images. Finally, if you come across images such as these, please don’t add them to your tree. What if your lineage changes based on new information now you have a misleading image? You thought I was kidding when I said my ancestor wasn’t a tree! The relationship created by linking your ancestors together is the family tree. There is no need to upload an unidentified graphic of a tree for your relative’s profile. If the media image is a piece of art they created, then please share and tell us the story of their arboreal masterpiece. If you can’t stand that the portrait spot for your ancestor is blank, get over it. They lived pre-photography days, or their portraits were never created or were destroyed. A tree or silhouette is not a representation of your ancestors. To sum up, don’t turn our ancestors into trees, flowers, and flags on Ancestry.com. You’re wasting hinting resources and creating a lot of grumblings for researchers on the other end. Makes those Ancestry.com family trees less appealing which defeats the purpose of sharing your tree online – to collaborate with potential cousins! Instead, share photos that genuinely connect your relative with a place or time. FYI: Most of those images will be modern. Read More About #AncestryMyTreeTags #Ancestryresearchtips

Who doesn’t want to generate more interest in their research among their family members? I’ve contacted different family members for years, asking them to share family photos, documents, and stories with me. They seem willing and ask, “what do you want to know?” Those seem like golden words, but they’re not. Or at least, I sometimes fail to convert a willingness to help into the desired outcome. In the past, I shared a group sheet and a list of questions and potential items that would be of interest to me. Sometimes, I’ve mailed them the research I know to a certain point and ask them to fill in the gaps. A few individuals have willingly have responded and filled in gaps with amazing photos that I never knew existed and stories I’ve never heard. But I received more open hearts and flow of information when people were excited about what I am doing, and they can consume their family history in a method that excites them. So, here’s a list of 10 ways I have shared family history to build excitement and lead to more discoveries. Ten Ways to Share Your Family History Create a bound book Create an eBook Create a heritage scrapbook Create digital photo projects: digital photo albums, slideshows, music videos, documentaries Write articles for local genealogical societies or state genealogical society writing competitions. Donate family histories to a genealogical library, university special collection, or local genealogy society Write blog posts Create a documentary and upload it to YouTube Upload photos and stories to online genealogy trees Print an online or offline blog book or journal Notice how this list includes options that deliver your stories, no matter if they are large projects or smaller ones. Depending upon which project format and delivery method you choose, you can create great excitement for your family's history among your other family members. Or, you might be able to give pieces of a story to someone who can pull all those pieces together into a project of their own. For additional sharing tips, check out these blog posts: How to Write a Source-Based Family History Book - Adding Citations How to Embed YouTube Videos on Your Genealogy Blogs or Websites How to Publish Family Histories

In January, I detailed my maternal great-grandmother's research discoveries, who had remained a mystery for many decades because she died after giving birth to my grandmother. This child was placed for adoption and eventually became my grandmother. I also began sharing the story about my immigrant 3rd great-grandfather Joseph Geißler who settled in Franklin County, Ohio. Thus far, I have shared stories about his birth and life in Baden, his coming to America, and his planting roots in Prairie Township. I will be sharing more about Joseph in the coming months, so stay tuned. But why would I write Joseph’s story when I could be seeking out more records? Isn’t research more exciting? Isn’t research discoveries the trigger for many genealogy happy dances? The short answer is that stories drive research. Details in the story need explaining. In Birth and Baden, I knew of Joseph's home country but initially, I knew very little about Baden. When I set out to write about where Joseph came from, I needed to research Baden. In doing so, I learned a lot about Joseph’s homeland, political environment, and the likely reason he traveled to the New World. I still have many questions about where he lived, specifically in Baden and who his parents and siblings were, but I learned perspective by seeking out more details to include in my story. Writing a Fact Exposes Lack of Sources In Birth and Baden, I started writing a specific birth date for Joseph Geiszler but then realized I don’t have an actual source for the date. I have a source for the year 1836. What I discovered was the date on my tree was supplied to me by a cousin who said it was recorded on a church record. However, I have not seen that church record. I don’t wish to doubt the cousin, but I also have been burned too many times when I trusted someone’s research rather than looking at the source of their information. As such, I know I need to follow up on the source recommendation to verify the specific date of Joseph’s birth. Helps Me Analyze Theories and Statements In Planting Roots in Prairie, I have a statement that says, “Although her membership continued at St. James, their subsequent children would all be baptized at Holy Cross.” I had made this note in RootsMagic with the marriage fact for Joseph Geiszler and Caroline Mack. The source citation for this event is the marriage record, nothing else. As I started writing the full story of Joseph and Caroline’s children (which I haven’t posted about yet), I realized that perhaps that statement isn’t entirely true. I find one child’s baptism at St James. If all the children were baptized at Holy Cross, why was this one baptized at St James? St James is the Lutheran church of the mother, Caroline. Either I have incorrectly attributed the citation for that child’s baptism to St James rather than Holy Cross, or I have a false statement. By pulling out the notes and statements and such from my organized files, I can reevaluate them as I craft an overall story. Do they fit? Do they make sense? Is there something I’m missing? ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free guide: 10 Online Genealogy Resources You Have to Try There are many other reasons why it pays to stop researching and start writing. The short version is stories drive research. Have you stopped researching and starting writing your family’s stories based on what you’ve discovered? If you haven’t, I call you to action. Before you seek out a new discovery, transform what you have learned into a story.

A reader asked me, “I would love to know the kinds of phrases you enter into that reason statement boxes on FamilySearch.org because I’m always stymied by what exactly to say that explains the situation.” If you aren’t aware, FamilySearch.org ‘pesters’ you with a box that says “Reason This Information Is Correct” whenever you change any fact on the family tree. If you're unsure what to key into in those boxes, the following principles will help. Why Don't People Fill in the Reason Statement Boxes on FamilySearch? Since 2012, I have often wondered why people skip the 'Reason to ..." boxes on FamilySearch. I have come up with two main reasons. FamilySearch doesn't require an explanation of most changes. Except for merging and unmerging and breaking relationships, a user doesn't have to complete the reason box. Researchers don't know what to put in the box to explain their decisions. Many genealogy researchers do not find value in explaining themselves. They climb their family tree. The "Reason This Information Is Correct" boxes are a hindrance to the speed they can research. Or, many researchers do not know what to put into these brief boxes? Why Should You Fill in the Reason Statement Boxes? There are two major reasons you should take the time to write something in the boxes unique to the FamilySearch family tree. The first benefits you, and the second assists other researchers. As you research, you make many decisions about why a record belongs to your ancestor, why a source documents someone else, why your ancestor's name should be changed, and so much more. If your family is larger than 5 people, you will quickly make so many decisions that it is next to impossible to remember them all. Thus, the primary motivation for completing the reason statement prompts is to remind yourself why you made the changes you did. That way, when you look at your research the following day, the next year, or five years from now, you can recall your decision-making process. The second benefit of completing these prompt boxes helps other family historians. Since FamilySearch is a collaborative tree, other genealogists want to know why you are changing 'their family tree.' If you don't want to start a battle royale innocently, then explain your changes. Many people complain about this cooperative family tree building environment, but the one-tree approach isn't the problem. Users who don't leave explanations are the biggest frustrations and why many people won't use FamilySearch to build their family tree. What Are The Fundamentals of Writing Helpful Reason Statements? Throughout 2013, I often saw people write the following reasons for the changes they made: Duplicate Matches Redundant Census While I was happy to see someone write a note in the box, these were less than helpful. There are a few simple steps to writing an effective reason statement on FamilySearch. Use complete sentences. Avoid writing "Because I know" or similar variations. Leave enough information so that you can remember why you attached a source or made a change. If you follow these three principles, you will rarely write an insufficient note. It might lead to something like this: This census record has the same birth date and place, first, and last name of Robert Townsend that I have for Robert Townsend based upon a previous birth record. While this explanation still needs more work, it's much better than "census record" or "I know." Wouldn't you agree? ↪️ Are you new to family history research? Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free guide: 5 Steps For Successfully Starting in Family History Five Specific Steps to Write An Effective FamilySearch Reason Statements The fundamentals might provide enough guidance to help you fill in the "Reason To" boxes on FamilySearch. However, if you're like me, I still prefer more clarity. An effective reason statement on FamilySearch explains the logical steps you took to determine why a change is needed on the universal family tree. It also includes a reference to the documentation you are basing these decisions on. However, this is not a place to argue with your relatives. According to the FamilySearch Wiki, "The reason fields are not the place to hold a dialog or debate with other users. Please do not use them to post questions or requests for information. If an issue needs to be discussed or if you need to request additional information, use the Discussions feature rather than a reason field." With that said, here are the specific steps I keep in mind as I complete the reason to boxes. So, this information isn’t a genealogical proof analysis, but it at least says: Specify the record I’m attaching or consulting? Your reason statements float through the Person Page on the family tree. Help the explanations make sense by mentioning your documentation. What information does a source specifically state? If a marriage record says George J. Geiszler's parents are Henry J. Geiszler and Maggie M. Hubby, do not add the middle names or correct the mother's name to Marguertha Magdalena Hoppe. Explain why this information is correct. For George's marriage record, all details on his marriage certificate, with the expectation of the spelling of his mother's last name, was accurate. Let other researchers know why the information is correct. Resolve conflicting facts and details. Sometimes the conflicting information is a simple explanation - Hubby should really be Hoppe, and when pronounced with the German dialect, the latter sounds like the former. Sometimes the conflicting information will take paragraphers to explain. Regardless, you either need to include a quick sentence or do the next step. Direct other researchers to the Collaborate tab or Memories section for further discussion. Suppose your reasoning is more complex, such as the methodology I used to resolve my John Townley brick wall, direct other researchers for a lengthy discussion. You can upload a PDF file and add your conclusions in the documents section. Or you can leave notes in the same-named section on the Collaborate tab. Examples of Effective Reason Statements Many situations happen on FamilySearch. Use the following examples as a guide to help you with your own family history research. Changing the Name of an Ancestor Magdelana's marriage record, gravestone, the 1870 Census, and birth certificate for her son, George Geiszler, indicate that her Magdalena "Maggie" Hoppe. Her son's marriage certificate listed her last name as Hubby, which sounds similar to Hoppe when spoken in German. Deleting a Relationship Born 1801 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, Charles Gordon has frequently been linked with Lt. Nathaniel Charles Gordon of Wilkes County, North Carolina. While Nathaniel is of an age to be Charles' father, there is no evidence suggesting that Charles was born in North Carolina or that Nathaniel and his wife Mary ever passed through Pennsylvania. For a further explanation, see the Notes in the Collaboration tab. Attaching Sources I wrote several blog posts to help you explain your decisions as you work on the family. These include examples for indexed records and vital records. I've also written a blog post entitled, Writing Complex Reason Statements for FamilySearch. Take Time To Explain Your Decisions On the Famliy Tree While many people dislike using the FamilySearch tree, I find the free genealogy website helpful and use it for much of my research. If you're upset that others are changing your family tree and the facts you know to be correct, you have to write more effective reason statements and add more sources to your ancestor.

Selecting a color scheme for a family history album is probably one of the most exciting and sometimes difficult parts of creating a scrapbook. With paper scrapbooking, one would spend hours trying to decide what colors and color combinations work best. It would be very costly to cut and glue your pictures to a variety only to decide it doesn’t look as good as you had hoped. Thankfully, digital scrapbooking makes it affordable and fun to try different combinations of colors and papers until you find the one that works for you. Let’s see how I used a layout with three other color options. Cover page template with photo and title in place As you can see, I can have three or four colors in my color scheme. The template designer has given me a few hints of where the light and darkest papers should go. And, I want the picture of the family farm in the center not to get lost. If you have a digital scrapbook kit with papers and embellishments that meet your needs, stop reading this post and create your pages. Unfortunately, I don’t always find kits that have all the papers I want. Or, the kit costs more than I want to spend. So, I usually pull digital scrapbook papers from a variety of scrapbook kits for my heritage album. Since I’m not a designer by trade, I need help knowing what colors go together. The first step is to look at a collection of color palettes from Colorcombo.com. I came across this color scheme that I thought would work nicely for my heritage scrapbook. It is a nice blend of rich colors that aren’t always brown or black and white. I found different pieces of scrapbook paper on my computer that I thought might work nicely. So I opened them in Photoshop Element. As I opened each piece of potential paper, I weighed them against the color scheme. I tried to match them as closely as possible (notice the maroon color is now more mauve). I also looked at the sample papers against each other to see if they were compatible. In the end, I came up with this layout option. Title Page created using Color Combo 34 Monochromatic Heritage Scrapbook Color Scheme Then I decided I wanted to try a monochromatic green color palette for my family history album. The color scheme that I found has four different green shades: two dark, one medium, and an interesting light choice. Light green proved to be very difficult to find on my computer. So, I transformed a piece of paper I already had to be closely related. As I selected other green papers, I kept finding myself using the color palette as more of a guideline (2 darks, 1 medium, and 1 light). Layout inspired by ColorCombo 52 Though the palette isn’t exactly like the one I tried to emulate, I did find a pleasing color combination. I also decided to decrease the size of the outer mat. Unfortunately, the layout seemed out of balance with the color choices I was making. Since no rule says I have to follow the template exactly, I modified it. I think this looks nice. I also played around with the title. First, I separated the location information of the main title. Next, I chose a tag embellishment and placed the information on it. This gave the layout more balance and flow. I also added a line of digital stitching to separate the upper border and the lower section. It was a nice touch. Three Color Heritage Scrapbook Page The next color combination I decided to try was black, brown, royal blue, and cream. This time, I thought about finding a piece of pattern paper with some of these colors together. Layout inspired by ColorCombo 11 I found black paper with navy and cream pinstripes. I loved how that enhanced the quality of the dark top border. Next, I tried looking for a medium brown similar to the sample color palette. I found quite a few browns with rich texture, but nothing closely matched the sample color. So, I decided to compare the browns to the black with pinstripe paper. By doing that, I finally found a brown that worked nicely. And it was fairly close to the suggested color recommendation. So sometimes, changing how you look for a paper (matching the color recommendation vs. compliment to papers already selected) helps you pick the right one. I loved how placing the dark brown in the picture's outer mat resembled a picture frame. When I used dark brown as the title mat, I found the white text contrasted to the dark paper pleasing. Since the closer you come to a black and white color contrast increases the readability of writing in print, I knew this was a keeper. . The next question was what to do about the dark blue. I knew if I added another dark color to this layout, the papers would blend as they wouldn’t have enough visual contrast. So, I decided to use the blue as a guide (what type of blue, navy, blue-green, red-blue) and find a lighter version. I found a nice light, dark blue. When I added the piece as a background to the brown frame, the layout came alive. I went a few shades lighter than the select blue for the inner picture mat and kept it a solid color. After adding a few accents, the layout came together nicely. I hope this look into how I select a color scheme for a layout or album was beneficial. It pays to play around with color combinations whether you're doing a paper or a digital scrapbook. Of course, your favorites will vary from mine, but that’s the beauty of it. Variation is the spice of life. More scrapbooking tips for you: Scrapbooking Basics in Photoshop Elements How to Upload a Scrapbook File From Photoshop Elements to Shutterfly Scrapbook Layout Technique: Use Anchoring 5 Simple Scrapbook Layouts (Video) Create a Family History Scrapbook Using Shutterfly (Video)

Family history research is fun until you run into an ancestor you know little about. However, there are genealogy research methods that can help you learn more than you thought possible. While such ancestors are best reserved for family historians with intermediate level genealogy research skills, anyone with a research plan can succeed. What Are The 5 Step Genealogy Research Plan For Someone You Know Little About? Follow these steps to investigate ancestors when you have little to start with. Review What You Know Do a Preliminary Assessment for the Ancestor Develop a Quality Research Question Organize Your Research and Discoveries on FamilySearch Evaluate the Your Search Results Step 1: Review What You Know Believe it or not, you have more than you think to begin your investigation. The first step in a genealogy research plan is to record your background information. What information and evidence do you have? Start by recording the basics of names, dates, places, and relationships. It's okay if you have the wrong facts. You need something to start with. For instance, my husband quickly researched a man named Larry Elder, who taught at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The only other relationship he knew about Mr. Elder was that he was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. I won't spoil the research process for you, but let's just say there Andy had enough to build Mr. Elder's family tree out four generations even though one of the initial facts was incorrect. (You can access his lecture by becoming an FHF Xtra member and then clicking on the webinar "Finding Strangers in Your Pajamas." Start with what you know. Every snippet of information will help you in your research. Step 2: Do a Preliminary Assessment for the Ancestor When a consultant prepares a proposal to take on a client, they often will conduct a preliminary investigation of the project's situation. In traditional genealogy research methods, your next step involves writing a quality research question. However, when you are researching someone you know little about, you will have too many questions to resolve. Instead, do a preliminary assessment on two websites - Google and FamilySearch. Not only are these free websites to do family history research, but you might be surprised what you will find about your ancestor. Utilizing strategies from the blog post Googling Your Way to Great Genealogy Research Discoveries, type in the person's name and location, name, and occupation, or name and association into Google. Let's say all you know about a relative is the following: Zula J Offord Female born 1869 died 1929, in Ohio, United States You should also know who they are related to you. Right? Add that to your fact list as well. (In this case, great-grandmother.) On Google, you can type in Zula Offord 1929 Ohio. When you do, you'll actually find this blog post again. When I removed 1929 from the search, I saw several entries on MyHeritage and Find A Grave. These are genealogy websites that can help you explore Zula's family tree. Go ahead. Click on Google and key in Zula Offord and see what you find today. Next, visit the FamilySearch website. Click on the Search tab, and you will see this screen. On this form, type the name of the person you’re researching. In this case, key in: ”Zula Offord, ” leaving the middle initial off. Use the range 1865 - 1875 for the birth year of 1869. Use the date range of 1928 - 1930 for the death year of 1929 Now press the Search button to see what is available on FamilySearch. When I search for Zula, FamilySearch offered the following record hints: 3 death records 1 Find A Grave record 1910 US Census 1920 US Census Death record for a possible spouse named John Death record for a possible child named Grayson The possible spouse name of John and a child named Grayson might jump out of you. You know that Zula is your great-grandmother and had a child named Grayson. Now, it's time to get more serious with your genealogy research methods. In fact, why don't you use my free genealogy research plan to record your process? What happens if Google and FamilySearch Strike Out? No worries, you can still move on to step three. Step 2 was just to find out if any work was already completed for you. Step 3: Develop a Quality Research Question Based on what you know from step 1 and what you discovered in step 2, it's time to focus on one question. Experienced family historians have more success when they focus on one specific question at a time. Research that one question until you have resolved it. Discover the three common types of research questions in this video. In the video above and the blog post Developing Quality Research Questions, I walk you through the three types of genealogy investigations. We're going to focus on possible questions based on the results for Zula above. You might wonder: Where was my ancestor born? Who was her spouse(s)? Who were her parents? Where did she live in childhood or as an adult? What was their economic status? How many children did she have? What religion did she practice? Rank such questions in order of interest, and then pick one to put in your genealogy research plan. This action will help ensure that you methodically climb your family tree. Step 4: Organize Your Research and Discoveries On FamilySearch When you find a fact or record that documents your ancestor, where should you keep that information? Should you add everything to a research log? Should you write the details in pre-printed forms? I would actually advise you to add your discoveries to the FamilySearch family tree and make notes in your research plan. Not only can you keep your research organized, but the computer algorithm will begin scouring the FamilySearch databases looking for additional records that might document your relative. In short, you get a free genealogy research assistant! As you attach sources to a person on FamilySearch, you will be asked to complete a box with a title similar to "Reason This Information is Correct." If you have trouble explaining why you think a record belongs to your ancestors, I have an entire series focused on helping you write better reason statements on FamilySearch. Begin with this one, Guiding Principles for Writing Reason Statements. There are challenges to working with FamilySearch, but overall, I really like the platform. ↪️ Would you like even more tips for doing online genealogy research? Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free guide: 10 Online Genealogy Resources You Have to Try Step 5: Evaluate the Your Search Results Before you attach a possible record for your ancestor, you first need to evaluate it. Does the source actually document your relative? To learn the basic principles of evaluating records, I have written the following posts: Evaluating Evidence While Researching Your Family Tree How do I know if a record belongs to my ancestors? How to Evaluate a Death Record For an Ancestor How to Evaluate a Find A Grave Memorial for Genealogy How to Evaluate FamilySearch Hints If you're a beginning genealogist, you might make several mistakes, which this post, Don't Make These Mistakes While Climbing Your Family Tree, will help you avoid. One of the strategies that professional genealogists use to investigate for their clients is to know what records answer their questions and whether those records existed for the time and place they are researching. The FamilySearch Wiki can help you gain some insights that experienced genealogists have. However, as you piece together the clues from all of your records, you want first to add notes to your genealogy research plan. But you might also want to leverage a few research tools, including Create a clue web of your discoveries Using the FamilySearch Timeline to Generate Clue Using this simple research method to tackle a difficult research ancestor, you may quickly learn about their entire life story. Or, you might discover you have a genealogy brick wall. In that case, then you will want to learn how I researched my own brick wall ancestor step-by-step. Best of luck climbing the tree of someone with whom you know very little. May you soon find out much more.

When adding names to a family tree, three or four facts specifically identify an ancestor: their name, birth, marriage (if applicable), and death. Each of these facts are a great starting point for a narrative about your ancestor, as usually, you have records that support each of these events. Previously, I walked you through writing a simple birth story and marriage story for my Great-Grandmother, Lura Smith Long. This post applies the same process to writing a simple death story. Step One: Make a Simple Sentence The process is so easy. We’ll start by making a simple sentence then expand the story using additional details from supporting records. Once again, we’ll look at the profile for Lura on Ancestry.com. The snapshot highlights those all-important vital facts and will help craft the first simple sentence for Lura’s death story. Lura (Smith) Long died on 7 May 1934 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. That wasn’t so hard, and it’s not meant to be. The first step is the hardest to gear up for when beginning a writing project. If it’s so painless a 12-year-old can do it, then the ‘it’s too hard’ excuse quickly vanishes. The “Maybe Someday” excuse for not writing a narrative can also transform into “Maybe Today.” Look how easy it was to write the first sentence. 11 words are a good start. Step Two: Expand the Story to Include Facts From Death Records What information do I have that supports the fact on Lura’s profile? If you guessed her death certificate, you would be right! Good job. Lura’s death certificate can quickly and easily expand that first sentence if you know what information is most useful for detailing this event. If I had not previously written a story about Lura being born, I would include information about her parents. If I had not previously written about her marriage to Harry Long, I would include his name as well. Since I have written those two stories, I do not need to include those details in this story. So what else can I use for the story? Some facts look useful right away. Where she lived and how old was she when she died are great facts to add. When and where she was buried could eventually become a separate paragraph if I have enough information. For now, this tidbit will be part of the next draft of the story. How about the cause of death and how long she suffered from this problem? All of these facts are new to her overall story and appear on this one document. I will reorganize the original sentence for better readability. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. Lura had been a housewife living at 295 Stewart Avenue. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934. Wowzers! Did I miss anything? Yes. I did drop the place of death. From the time Lura married until the end of her life, she lived in Columbus, Ohio. As such, I have left the place of death out of this particular story. Had her place of death differed from her place of residence, I would have included the full death location. Perhaps when I finish the whole narrative, I might insert the city information once again to assist my reader in knowing where Mt. Caramel Hospital is located. For now, I left it off. I do not know how much involvement Dr. Dunn had in Lura’s case other than signing off on her death record. I do not want to presume he did the surgery or that he was there the moment she died. The sentence is unimpressive stylistically, yet I would rather be accurate than misleading. Regardless of what I intentionally left out or cannot determine, my simple story expanded from one sentence to five and from 11 words to 78 using one record. Step Three: Expand the Story to Discuss Survivors Obituaries are the next source of information about the death of an ancestor. Many wonderful tidbits can be found, such as participation in churches and community organizations, and occupations to name a few. The best part of a well-crafted obituary is the list of relatives preceding and surviving the ancestor. If you are fortunate enough to have a relative who had an obituary published, and you have a copy, use it now to expand the story. If you haven’t discovered an obituary or one was never published (i.e., my family did not publish an obituary for my mother), you can create many related facts yourself. Using family group sheets, I determined that Lura would have been living with her husband Harry and her two daughters at the time of her death. Marguerite would have been 18 at this time and may have been finishing high school or working. I can not determine this information. Louise would have been 13 and attending school. Lura had no other children, and the girls were unmarried, so the list of immediate survivors ends here, as her parents and brother preceded her in death. Later, I will add her brother and parents' deaths to her overall narrative, so I will not add those names at this time. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. Lura had been a housewife living at 295 Stewart Avenue with 50 year-old Harry, 18 year-old Marguerite, and 13 year-old Louise. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934. If your relative had surviving parents, siblings, and grandchildren, your list would be longer than mine. If they had fewer survivors, your list could be shorter. Feel free to mention step-children and grandchildren as well. Not every family has the ‘perfect’ chart structure. I can not often determine the strength of a relationship when remarriages occur, so unless I know a child lived with a particular ‘step-mother’ or ‘step-father’ for a period of time, then I don’t include it. However, it’s your narrative and your relative. You get to decide. Before I wrote this bit, I mentioned that I wouldn’t include her parents' and brother's death that preceded Lura’s. However, while crafting this paragraph, I noticed that Lura’s death occurred 11 months after her father’s. Her father lived in her home for several years, and Lura’s daughters had many memories of him. To better understand the loss Harry and the daughters experienced, I need to include Grandpa Smith’s death as well. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. The death of the beloved Lura took place 11 months after the passing of her father Andrew Smith who had lived in her home at 295 Stewart Avenue for a number of years. Lura would leave behind 50 year-old Harry, 18 year-old Marguerite, and 13 year-old Louise to grieve her loss, along with Grandpa Smith’s. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934. Step Four: Expand the Story With Information about Cause of Death How often have you wondered exactly what the cause of death terminology means? Probably more often than you care to admit if you’re not well versed in medical terminology. Do a Google search or ask a knowledgeable medical friend, to help you understand what disease or ailment afflicted your ancestor. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Cerebral embolism happens when a clot is carried by the bloodstream until it lodges in an artery leading to or in the brain, blocking the flow of blood. In layman’s terms, she suffered a stroke during the recovery from surgery and died from it. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. The death of the beloved Lura took place 11 months after the passing of her father Andrew Smith who had lived in her home at 295 Stewart Avenue for a number of years. Lura would leave behind 50 year-old Harry, 18 year-old Marguerite, and 13 year-old Louise to grieve her loss, along with Grandpa Smith. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934. One medical term didn’t make sense to me (cerebral embolism), and I was afraid it would not make sense to others. I discovered a basic definition and then a ‘layman’s translation by doing a Google search.’ Now, we can picture more clearly what caused the death of this rather young woman. Perhaps I should also detail what a uterus fibroid. Step Five: Expand the Story With Comparison to Parental Death Ages Many people, your eventual readers, are interested in the longevity of their ancestors. Take a moment to record how long your ancestor’s parents lived and compare that with your ancestor. Did they live longer, shorter, or about the same? You might discover a pattern or other interesting story by doing this step. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Cerebral embolism happens when a clot is carried by the bloodstream until it lodges in an artery leading to or in the brain, blocking the flow of blood. In layman’s terms, she suffered a stroke during the recovery from surgery and died from it. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. The death of the beloved Lura took place 11 months after the passing of her father Andrew Smith who had lived in her home at 295 Stewart Avenue for a number of years. Lura would leave behind 50 year-old Harry, 18 year-old Marguerite, and 13 year-old Louise to grieve her loss, along with Grandpa Smith. Interestingly, Lura’s mother died at the age of 26 and her father at the age of 77. At the age of 50, Lura’s lived longer that her mother but not nearly as long as her father. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934 You could go a step further and include the cause of death for an ancestor’s parents and see if a medical condition is hereditary. I can not read Andrew’s or Emma’s cause of death, so I excluded that information at this time. Step Six: Expand the Story With Burial Information This step may or may not be important to you, but sometimes where a person is buried has an interesting story. I have one set of Grandparents who were not buried in the same cemetery. The wife does not have a stone (or it was damaged and removed), and the husband’s stone is one of two with no inscription. Lura was buried on the Smith family plot in Green Lawn Cemetery. I can make mention of the others buried in the same location. On 4 May 1934, Lura was admitted to Mt. Caramel Hospital, just two months after her 50th birthday. Apparently, she had trouble with a uterus fibroid and a hysterectomy was performed on May 5th. During the recovery process, she had a cerebral embolism and died from it on May 7th. Cerebral embolism happens when a clot is carried by the bloodstream until it lodges in an artery leading to or in the brain, blocking the flow of blood. In layman’s terms, she suffered a stroke during the recovery from surgery and died from it. Her physician was Joseph M Dunn, M.D. The death of the beloved Lura took place 11 months after the passing of her father Andrew Smith who had lived in her home at 295 Stewart Avenue for a number of years. Lura would leave behind 50 year-old Harry, 18 year-old Marguerite, and 13 year-old Louise to grieve her loss, along with Grandpa Smith. Interestingly, Lura’s mother died at the age of 26 and her father at the age of 77. At the age of 50, Lura’s lived longer that her mother but not nearly as long as her father. Lura was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery on 9 May 1934 on the Smith Family Plot (Lot 43, Section 35) that is near the road with two steps leading into the section. One the face of one step is the Smith family name. Beside those steps in a white stone for Lura’s little brother earl. A large monument bears the name of Mary E Smith, Lura’s step-grandmother. There is no stone for her grandfather Philip who purchased the original plot. Also buried on the site is Lura’s father Andrew and mother Emma Ward. (Her step-mother would die after Lura but she was apparently in an asylum at the time of Lura’s death). Her step-aunt Louella (Smith) Tooill’s unnamed infant son was also buried on this plot. Finally, her uncle Orlando Smith and his wife Clara were buried on the plot as well. Perhaps this story seems too long, and you wouldn’t want to add all the ‘who’s buried there’ information in your ancestor’s narrative. My family members keep asking, “Who does the little white stone belong to?” “Who is Mary E Smith?” and “Who are Orlando and Clara?” after visiting the Smith gravesite. The infant Tooill infant didn’t have a stone, but family members have wondered about his listing on the plot information. I included the information so that those most familiar with Lura and her daughters will know how she relates to the others on that cemetery section. Final Tally: 3 Paragraphs and 335 words provide the information about when Lura Long died and where she was buried. ↪️ Sign up for our newsletter and receive the free Writing Guide: 5 Steps to Quickly Write About Your Ancestors Finding a group sheet, death record, plot information, and information on Google enabled me to write one more section for my ancestor’s Narrative. If you have written your simple birth, marriage, and death story for an ancestor, your “Maybe Someday” has now become “Done Day” or “In Progress Day.” You can write your family’s history with what you already have, and you should. If you don’t, your research is more likely to be tossed out with the trash than if you had taken time to follow these simple steps. More Familly History Writing Examples How to Write a Simple Birth Story How to Write a Simple Marriage Story About Your Ancestors How to Write a Family History Wedding Story Biographical Sketch Example Response to a Question Writing Sample