Category Archives: Resources

Title: The Family Tree Scandinavian Genealogy Guide Author: David A. Fryxell Format: Paperback Published: 2019 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Fall 2020); reprinted with permission. This post contains affiliate links. The Family Tree Scandinavian Genealogy Guide is a wonderful resource for anyone with Scandinavian heritage. In this book, David A. Fryxell covers how to research ancestors from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The book is organized into four parts. In the first part, readers will learn about the various waves of immigration […]

Title: The Magic of German Church Records: Finding the Key to Your Ancestor’s Past Author: Katherine Schober Format: Paperback Published: 2020 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Fall 2020); reprinted with permission. This post contains affiliate links. In The Magic of German Church Records, Katherine Schober provides a helpful process for deciphering German church records, along with other useful information. The book is written in an upbeat and cheerful tone, which lends to the encouragement of Schober that you can indeed use […]

Title: New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy Author: Brian Mitchell Format: Paperback Published: 2020 My Rating: This post contains affiliate links. The New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy is an updated version of the Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy, which was first published in 1991 (and revised in 2002 and 2008). This new version includes links to records and information online, as well as a discussion on the various types of DNA testing that can be used to seek out Irish roots. Author Brian Mitchell starts the book with a […]

Did you know that many of the major subscription genealogy sites have free records? We’re still living in uncertain times, and that may mean that you’ve had to forego one or more of your genealogy subscriptions. Plus, with libraries either closed or limiting services, you may not be able to take advantage of their institutional subscription that’s free for patrons to use. But, it’s possible that some of the records you need are available for free.

I have a weekly calendar entry that reminds me to check out the new records that have been added to the major genealogy websites. When I find something of interest, I investigate it further and if it’s worthwhile I add it to my locality guide(s). I do this even when I don’t have a subscription to a website. Why? Because I may find that there are enough relevant collections on a website that are worth the cost of a subscription for a little while. Or, I might be able to […]

Title: Family Tree Factbook: Key Genealogy Tips and Stats for the Busy Researcher Author: Diane Haddad Format: Paperback Published: 2018 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Spring 2020); reprinted with permission. This post contains affiliate links. The Family Tree Factbook is intended to be a quick reference guide for US-based genealogy research. There are plenty of facts and tips throughout the book that researchers will find useful. The opening chapter “Research Basics” includes a glossary of terms, a list of acronyms, and […]

March is Women’s History Month! This year, I plan to celebrate by learning more about my female ancestors and what life was like for them. There are a lot of fabulous free resources available online and I can’t wait to dig in. In case you want to join me, here are a few general resources you can use to learn more about your female ancestors. Discovering American Women’s History Online – There are more than 700 digital collections covering all sorts of women’s history topics. Includes everything from oral histories […]

Title: The Family Tree Historical Atlas of Germany Author: James M. Beidler Format: Paperback Published: 2019 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Winter 2019); reprinted with permission. This post contains affiliate links. The history of Germany is a complicated subject. But there are pieces of Germany’s history that are important to family history researchers. The Family Tree Historical Atlas of Germany tells the story of Germany’s evolution through maps, from ancient times to the present, and is a useful resource for genealogists. […]