Don't Forget the Descendants - AKA your distant cousins

One of the most significant tips I can give you: Don’t ignore branches of your tree. Anyone who says “all the work has been done” is ignoring the small branches of their family tree. Most people work only on their main family branches. They work back in time. Their puzzle looks a lot like this.

They are missing these small but significant pieces. If you look at these two pieces, they barely have any “skin” on them. They are mostly “sky”. So when organizing and putting the puzzle together, they get left out.

The puzzle just isn’t complete without them.

This is the same as descendant research. Most people work on their main branches and go back as far as they can. The puzzle appears to be done. But, there are significant side pieces missing. If you are having a hard time picking your corner because it appears the corners have already been done, then check the smaller side branches. After all, my cousins are some of my best friends!

Descendant research also is a huge help in brick walls. Some of you may know what I mean by “brick wall”.  You just may find your missing puzzle piece after you connect with your cousins. Tracking down living distant cousins has helped me immensely in my family history. Not only do you make new friends, but they may have some information you might never be able to find anywhere else. (Such as family bibles, pictures, journals, family stories)

Don’t just look at the living distant cousins. Look at all your cousins. I have been able to find information for brick lines (place of birth, mother’s maiden name, and death dates) through siblings of my ancestors.

Please pick your “corner” by next week. Next week we will begin looking for the missing puzzle pieces. If you are still having a hard time picking your corner, think about these questions:

·         Am I drawn to a certain family name?

·         Do I feel a connection to one of my ancestors?

·         Do I want to work on the part of the puzzle where lots have been completed, or do I want to try a part of the puzzle where lots of pieces are missing?

·         Is there a family name that isn’t as common? (Example: the surname Smith or Roberts may be a lot more difficult than surnames like Marberger or Delahunty)

·         Are you more familiar with a certain country or state or place of one of your ancestors?

·         I’d suggest starting with the easiest line, but this isn’t absolutely necessary. I started with a “brick line” and that is how I learned about all the different resources.

·         Have you looked at descendant research?

·         Do you know anything about your ancestors who’s already been researched by others? (You may want to start with an ancestor who has already been done by others, you never know if others have skipped over that small but significant piece?

·         Do you have a line that isn’t researched very far back? (The most recent, the more records available)