Julie's Genealogy & History Hub

The Western Michigan Genealogical Society 2019 Writing Contest kicked off on January 1, 2019 and will run through March 31, 2019. You do not have to be a WMGS member to enter and there is no entry fee. Entries must be 1,500 to 3,000 words, unpublished, and relate to the theme “Aunts, Uncles & Other Collateral Relatives.” Winning entries will be published in Michigana.  Winning authors will be awarded a monetary prize as follows: 1st place – $100 and an annual WMGS membership 2nd place – $75 and an annual […]

Title: A Recipe for Writing Family History By: Devon Noel Lee Format: Kindle Published: 2018 My Rating: Devon Noel Lee has put together a wonderful, practical guide outlining a simple seven-step process to get people over the hump of writing their family history. Using the recipe analogy, she likens the writing process to preparing a dish—“you will gather your ingredients and mix them together and have something worth sharing at the end (location 145). Written in an upbeat, conversational tone, Lee guides you through her writing process, which is actually […]

Wow, I didn’t accomplish one darn thing on my 2018 goals list! Eeeek! This year unexpectedly turned into an educational year. I was able to attend two institutes, two conferences, and a virtual institute. IGHR – Advanced German Genealogy GRIP – You Be the Judge: Practicum Using Standards to Evaluate Genealogical Work SLIG Virtual – Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum Illinois State Genealogical Society Conference Luxembourg American Cultural Society Conference

Title: New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer Edited by: Naomi Joshi, et al. Format: Paperback Published: 2015 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Fall 2016); reprinted with permission. Note: This review is based on the original edition. A revised edition was released in 2017. Those who have New York ancestors no doubt understand the challenges associated with researching them. While there are materials out there to assist genealogists with researching in New York, there wasn’t one resource to cover […]

One would think that the information contained on the original vital record certificate and in the vital record register book for the same person and event would be identical. But is that always the case? As genealogists we understand that getting as close to the original record as possible is a necessity, but not always a possibility. We know that mistakes can be made in “copying” information from an original to a derivative. It is my understanding that in most places, if there are certificates and register books available concurrently, […]

  Title: Luxembourg-America: 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries Edited by: Brain&More Format: Hardcover Published: 2015 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Summer 2016); reprinted with permission. Being a descendant of Luxembourg immigrants, I’m always on the lookout for resources to learn more about the history and culture of this small European country. I can tell from my genealogy research that my immigrant ancestors were very proud of their Luxembourg heritage; I guess they took the motto to heart: “Mir wëlle bleiwe […]

Title: Endogamy: One Family, One People Author: Israel Pickholtz Format: Paperback Published: 2015 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Fall 2015); reprinted with permission. The world of genetic genealogy has grown considerably over the last several years. The testing of one’s DNA and comparing the results to others has no doubt crumbled a few brick walls. As more and more people test their DNA, resources that help navigate the DNA pool are in high demand. Many of the top genetic genealogists […]

  Title: Elements of Genealogical Analysis: How to Maximize Your Research Using the Great Migration Study Project Method Author: Robert Charles Anderson Format: Paperback Published: 2014 My Rating: The following review first appeared in the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM magazine (Summer 2015); reprinted with permission. There are plenty of how-to guides available for genealogy researchers, covering a variety of topics from record types to locations and everything in between. While some of the more general genealogy how-to books set forth a basic research process, oftentimes their main goal is […]