"Tracing Our Roots" Newsletter Archive (A monthly genealogy newsletter written by the late Brenda Kellow, dec'd, for the Plano Star Courier newspaper. We've included all the ones we could recover.)
Genealogists love SKELETONS! Family Historians may not have the same affection for those bony little critters. But finding them in either your closet or in someone else’s closet certainly has a fascination and makes studying them more than just mundane.
The first time I found my parents on a census was one of the most enthralling and joyous occasions in my life. But searching newspaper accounts, funeral records, burial records, and criminal and civil court records was the most interesting and shocking!
So how do you know there is a skeleton in your family or in your clients? Usually there is a family story or a ‘secret’ about one. Just grab the “facts” of the story and run, don’t walk, to your library, newspaper office, funeral home, and courthouse to find out the REAL truth. Remember, you cannot rely on the story’s facts for they have probably been exaggerated over time or maybe the memory fails. Take for instance the private who fifty years later became a Colonel or General in someone’s printed family history.
Interview others in the family who may know something about the stories. Maybe there are neighbors who would just love to talk to you. Always remember that you must ask the proper questions before you can expect to resolve the mystery.
Details like: Who, What, Where, Why, and How will help to verify or substantiate much of the story. These are questions any good journalist or detective will ask. You might need to write these down on a sheet of paper to help you to ask these questions and then write down the answers.
The analyzing process is necessary before making that first trip to research for the real story. Write down any resource that might be of help. If you are not familiar with the area, then consult county or city histories. If you are still puzzled, don’t forget to talk with the local reference librarians, municipal librarians, and the clerks in the County Clerk’s Office.
Diligent research for chasing those wily old skeletons is like any other. You must have a plan. Make no mistake, not all skeletons can be found and captured for your pen, but most families have a secret that has remained buried for many decades. It is a challenge but one I enjoy, not for publicity, but for the personal knowledge that I have the skill and ability for "Dig’n Up Bones" to unveil the secrets of the past.
CENSUS SHORTCUT: Edward Rosenbaum's "Shortcut to the Ancestry.com 1910 United States
Federal Census for New York City and State" at
REUNION: NELSON TRI-CENTENNIAL will be held on October 25-27, at Morehead City, N.C. For more information contact www.captjohnnelson.org.
INDIANA COUNTY IDENTIFIER: This is a county identifier on the Indiana Rootsweb pages. It is handy and easy to use. Just type in the city and it identifies the county. It can be reached at http://resources.rootsweb.com/USA/IN.html.
Brenda Kellow, dec'd, Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Instructor, had a Bachelor’s Degree in history and taught genealogy courses at the local Community College and computer genealogy at the University.
