Edgewood New Mexico Family History Center/Tips

Merge Function
When using the Merge function to combine duplicate records, it may seem obvious which record to select as the more complete record. But be sure to double check the temple ordinances of each duplicate person’s files. If you do not, some completed temple ordinances could be lost. —Melva Jenkins

Census Related

 * “Can’t find Grandma? Look for someone else! If you’ve conducted a thorough search of the census index for a given year, but keep coming up empty, turn to your family group sheets for help. Did your ancestor have a sibling with an unusual or uncommon name? It will likely be much easier for you to find Melvin than Mary. Gender doesn’t matter, as long as the ages were close enough so you can reasonably expect to find them living under the same roof (or nearby). Try using one or more uncommon given names and then scan the results looking for siblings that match the person you’re truly after.” —5-tips-for-searching-census-records


 * “Cross-reference city directories with the census. Be sure to check directories for the year before, the year of, and the year after the census to see if your ancestors moved during this time. Keep in mind that information you find in a 1910 directory was compiled the previous year—1909—before the 1910 census came calling.” —101-best-genealogy-tips-from-ftm
 * FAN—When researching a person, also search for friends, associates, and neighbors (FAN) that you will find on several types of records. Check census records for family and neighbors before and after the family you are searching for. Other types of records will have other people your ancestor worked with, went to church with, belonged to the same organizations, attended the same schools, were in the same military units, mentioned in the same newspaper articles, etc. —William Barrett
 * A story related to the above FAN tip is Tips for Finding Hard to Find Families on the U.S. Census. William Barrett adds, "There was probably a different census taker in 1870 and in 1880 who spelled the name differently. Human errors and inconsistencies are common in the records we use for family history research."

Family Stories
“Go beyond places and names when telling family stories. Use sources like local histories, family history interviews, and photos to add color and life to your research. Look for clues to your ancestor’s personality—their likes and dislikes, hobbies, or even clothing styles. These are the details that will stick with future generations.”—FamilyTree: Mar/Apr 2022, p 57

Local Histories

 * “To find local histories, use World Cat which lists the holdings of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide, including FamilySearch’s Family History Library.”—FamilyTree: Mar/Apr 2022, p 62
 * “Don’t limit your research to just your ancestors. Biographies of their siblings and other relatives in local and county histories might include information on your mutual ancestors.”—FamilyTree: Mar/Apr 2022, p 62

Name Variants
"Always be open to spelling variants in the forenames, surnames, and residences of your ancestors. Even when you’ve found entries for a relative, try searching again with different options and varied forenames, nicknames, and diminutives to ensure you have found all the relevant material available.” —25 Tips & Tricks for Successful Family History Research

Newspapers
Newspaper archives are a great place to search for everyday and major life events, e.g., “Lorre Wilson was in town visiting her grandmother,” as well as obituaries, engagements, and marriages. I have over 100 newspaper notices that mentioned my paternal grandfather in one way or another, e.g., “Henry Barrett, prominent local rancher, was in town today,” and “Henry Barrett owes $50.00 county taxes for 1890.” They have filled out his life story with mundane, interesting, and surprising data. Small town newspapers are best as they include a lot of the gossip and local interest that sold newspapers. www.newspapers.com is a “for fee” website that is free at the FHC. —William Barrett

Online Searching
Google your ancestor’s locations—town, county, and state—as well as their names. —William Barrett

Organizing Loose Notes
Do your family history notes look like this?

Do you dread working on family history because you are sorting through piles of little notes? I used to do this, too, until I hit on a solution. You know those cheap 99 cent composition notebooks you can get at W--m-rt? Buy a few and transcribe all your notes in them. Leave the first page or two blank for a table of contents. I organize my notebooks by my husband’s and my own families. If most of your notes are on letter-sized paper, 3-hole punch them and put them in a 3-ring binder. Then next time you are on the phone with Grandpa and he begins telling you a story, pull out your notebook and jot it down.



As you use these notes to create more organized, permanent records—like a family history book or an online memory in FamilySearch—cross off the note as being used and record where you used it. —Susan Heath