Women's History Month 2024: The Red Book Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
2w ago
Here's a book that is easily overlooked because of its age but is a must-have for American genealogical research. Even if you don't own it, bookmark where it is found online (see below). Title: Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources Author:  Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., CG Available online at the RootsWeb Wiki Synopsis:  "Red Book is designed to help family historians learn where to find information about their ancestors by taking an approach focused on localities. It is an expansive guide to the most useful resources in each of the fifty United States and the ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: FamilySearch
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
2w ago
 For today, let's discuss the resource you need for your research.   FamilySearch should be one of the first websites you exhaust. Start with the FamilySearch Research Wiki. You can either search by the state name and the type of record, or you can search by the state name and then click on the link in the Record Types box. You can also look in the FamilySearch Catalog. Conduct a Place search and then scroll down the available Subjects for potential records. Finally, remember to search the FamilySearch Digital Library, which includes digitized books from both the FamilyS ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: WWI Groups and Organizations
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
2w ago
War means that everyone needs to pitch in. This is especially true when we look at World Wars I and II. Women were asked to help, and they answered the call. We find records of their involvement in the organizations they belonged to in archives and published histories.  Look in the histories and directories of your ancestor's hometown and see if these groups were part of her community. Maybe she was a member? Society of Colonial Dames Navy Comforts Committee Young Women's Christian Association Centennial Club Housewives League Federation of Women's Clubs Army Comfort League American Re ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Fates and Traitors Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
2w ago
Historical fiction can help give us ideas about telling our own female ancestor's story. The following is one of my favorites. Title: Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth and the Women Who Loved Him. Author: Jennifer Chiaverini Publisher: Dutton Synopsis: "The subject of more than a century of scholarship, speculation, and even obsession, Booth is often portrayed as a shadowy figure, a violent loner whose single murderous act made him the most hated man in America. Lost to history until now is the story of the four women whom he loved and who loved him in return: Mary Ann ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Directories
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
2w ago
Back in 2019, my theme for Women's History Month was "I'm in the Book." I used that month to illustrate the different types of directories that include women's names. Directories and personal telephone books are typically a home source you might come across after someone has passed. It might seem like the type of ephemera that should be thrown away. However, directories can provide some insight into her life. Take, for instance, this example of a National Roster of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic (1933-1934). This directory lists names, affiliations, and addresses of women who ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Maiden Names Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
3w ago
From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega What's her maiden name?! Probably the most common question family history researchers ask is, "How do I find her maiden name?" It's an essential question since you can't connect her to her parents without that information. She becomes one of the endless women relegated to being referred to as "unknown." What are some sources that can help reveal her maiden name? Here are a few to think about: Marriage Records Child’s Birth Records Death Records (hers and perhaps her children's) Church Records (baptisms, christening, marriage, membership record ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Keywords Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
3w ago
Image by Willi Heidelbach from Pixabay It's time to add a technique to your search. As genealogists, we are taught to fill those search engine boxes with our ancestors' names, birth/marriage/death dates, and places. That's great. We should do that because the information we are searching for on genealogy websites is indexed or transcribed, and the search engine is programmed to find that information. But when we search library and archive catalogs for content, we need to look beyond the individual ancestors' names and dates. We need to have a keyword list. So, what's on a key ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Name Variations Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
3w ago
Photo by Gena Philibert-Ortega What was her name? That may seem like a stupid question, but I want you to really consider your ancestor's name. Was her name the very popular Elizabeth? Or was it Liz, Beth, Betty or some other variation? If she married, her name would most likely change. She went by Elizabeth Smith, and then her marriage made her Elizabeth Reynolds or Mrs. G.K. Reynolds. What was her name? Don't get into the rut of assuming her name was always just Elizabeth. That's when you miss mentions of her life in records. Create a list of her name variations. Consider all variations ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Scrapbooks Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
3w ago
 I love old scrapbooks. How I envy those who are gifted with an ancestor who scrapbooked. Victorians loved scrapbooking and pasted images, memorabilia, recipes, and newspaper clippings in their books. These were books meant to be kept and looked at over and over again. Children and adults were encouraged to use scrapbooks, and images were available to them marketed specifically for scrapbooks. There was even an adhesive scrapbook developed by Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain (yes, he did more than write books). From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega Scrapbooks can conta ..read more
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Women's History Month 2024: Museums Revisited
Gena's Genealogy
by Gena Philibert-Ortega
3w ago
Genealogical research. Family History research. The first term conjures up names, dates, and places. The study of a direct line of descent. The other makes us think of information that fills in the blanks of our ancestral timeline. Museums are a repository that can provide both. They can provide a place to learn about an ancestor's name, date, and place but they also provide the social history between a birth and death date. Women Museum of California. Photo by Gena Philibert-Ortega What are we looking for when researching our female ancestors at a museum? Social History: Images, exhibit ..read more
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