| checklist-findingmissingfamilyclues-pt_-_copy.pdf |
Finding Family--Clues and Tips for Finding People Missing from YOUR Family Tree
Clue #1: Deceased or No Dates
Clue #2: No Surname or Maiden Name for Women
Clue #3: Collect the Children
- No children or only one child in a family
- Spacing of Children—average is every two years
- Long gap and then more children--? 2nd marriage
- Naming Patterns
- Check birthdates of children against parents’ death dates
- Search using parents’ names only
- Where were known children born? Search in nearby locations.
- See handouts in the Good To Know Basics Section
- Study Images, not just indexing
- Use Images from different sources
- Turn the Page (if family is at the bottom or top of the page)
- Browse rest of page and nearby pages for other family members
- Check Age of wife versus age of children (could she be their mother or is this a second marriage?) Is it indicated if this is a first or second marriage?
- Investigate all individuals in a household (step-children, parents, other family, even “unrelated” individuals)
- Watch for Neighbors and Associates that lived near your family in other census records
- Check for State Census Records
- READ CAREFULLY
- 1790—1st US Census
- 1850—1st Census that included names of household members
- 1880 + --Lists relationship to the head of household
- 1890—Census was burned; only limited special schedules remain
- 1900—List month and year of birth; Mother of how many children and how many still living (check all women for this information)
- 1910—Mother of how many children and how many still living
- 1920—More complete citizenship information
- 1930—Age at 1st marriage; (Own a radio set)
- 1940—Last census available right now
- Most likely missed: Children who die young or don’t marry; Couples with no children
- Children’s birth, marriage and death records many times have information about their parents
- Families lived and moved together in the past
- Research often only done for a person’s direct line
- Find all known records about known family members—Not just birth, marriage and death
- Use “non-name & date” type records (ie. Journals, Diaries, Family Stories, Published Histories, Newspapers (don’t skip the society columns) etc. etc.)
- Following the wrong family
- Online family trees--Important Clues but, use as clues only
- Desire to extend line vs. accuracy
- Mixing families together
- Work from you back to make sure you are actually working on your own family!
- Children were not born before their parents or many years after their death
- Family Legends—use as clues and then verify
- Change Search Parameters;
- Extend range of dates searched
- Analyze results and use that input to refine your search parameters
- Use Search limiters
- Use Wildcards
- Just because it isn’t there today, doesn’t mean it won’t be there tomorrow
- Save images and indexing—NOT links to information
- Are all family members represented? There won’t be a green temple icon for someone not represented in Family Tree.
- Check for duplicate using Possible Duplicate AND FIND (under FamilyTree Tab)
- Especially living individuals—either family members or those who understand family history
