The giveaway is open now and ends at midnight on September 30, 2026.
Latest Articles
We Spend So Much Time Looking Back: What Are We Leaving Behind?
I spend a great deal of time looking for things people left behind. Sometimes it is something important, such as a will, a family Bible, or a letter that explains a relationship. Other times it is...
Am I Researching My Family or Just Collecting Records?
Recently, I realized I was doing something I’ve probably done many times without noticing. I found a record I’d been searching for, downloaded it, named the file, put it in the right folder, and...
This Week’s Free Genealogy Lookups
Looking for a record on your ancestor? This week’s featured genealogy databases are now available. Click through and submit a free lookup request.
The People I Almost Walked Past in the Family Tree
When I am working on the Moneymaker side of my family in Virginia, there is always a pull to keep going backward. Find the parents, then their parents, then see whether another generation is waiting...
I Know Their Names, But Do I Really Know Them?
Every once in a while, I look at someone in a family tree and realize I have done a pretty good job documenting them. I have birth, marriage, and census records, children, an occupation, and a death...
How Road Petitions Can Reveal Your Ancestor’s Neighborhood
Most family research begins with records created around major events such as births, marriages, deaths, land purchases, and military service. A request to build or repair a road may seem far removed...
Labor Day: A Legacy of Work, Rest, and Family
Labor Day arrives each September, signaling the close of summer and the approach of autumn. Many people see it as a three-day weekend for rest, cookouts, or back-to-school shopping. Yet beneath the...
Free Genealogy Book Giveaway on Patreon
This weekend, I’m giving away a copy of Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History by Megan Smolenyak. Entering is easy. Just click Join for Free at...
Using Bastardy Bonds in Family Research
A missing father can stop a family line very quickly. You may know the mother, where she lived, and what happened to the child later in life, yet still have no record that names the father. There may...