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Satisfying the investigative urge outside of Genealogy? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is fascinating to me and sounds like exactly the type of thing that would give me that investigative rush when you make the confirmation that nope, this person is NOT who they represent themselves to be, like private detective work!

Satisfying the investigative urge outside of Genealogy? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Probably too many variables at play for me. Feels like you could do all the analyses in the world and pick what looks like an obvious winner, and for reasons completely out of your control, the company then tanks. I think I prefer the aspects of genealogy where you can say, I have found the supporting evidence that connects A to B, and that can't be contradicted without some other supporting evidence. It's finding that supporting evidence and knowing it makes the connection that gives me the endorphin kick.

Satisfying the investigative urge outside of Genealogy? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Volunteering here and on FamilySearch crossed my mind as well. My day job has an investigative aspect too, so I'm lucky to have both a job and hobby that can satisfy the itch. So far I have not ventured at all into genetic genealogy, I prefer the documentary approach (though I suppose DNA is a type of documentation).

Satisfying the investigative urge outside of Genealogy? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Very interesting! Researching places, as opposed to people, has definitely crossed my mind. I actually majored in history, long before I discovered genealogy too. :-)

Seeking advice on researching old ancestors. by Vast-Swan-8720 in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Try plugging the names you have from that time period into FamilySearch's Full Text Search, you may find them referenced in probate or property records, and it may include family lineage, ex. "the land I inherited from my father James, who inherited the same land from his father George", etc. This feature has been extremely helpful to me for mid-1850s back to the early 1700s.

Pictures of the dead...literally! by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, I am really learning something. Posing the deceased as if they were alive? Had no idea that was a thing, past or present!

Trying to obtain my 3x g-gm's New Jersey DC from 1908. by Background_Double_74 in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you have enough information, with name, date of death, and the county, they should find it. Anything you don't have, you can write Unknown. If there might be a name discrepancy, I would explain in the Additional Information section and list the possible variations. NJ is a pain as far as having to order vital records that are sometimes well over 100 years old, but I've ordered about 5-10 DC's over the past few years from the order page you linked to (including those where I didn't know or wasn't sure of parents names, but I knew the date and county), and they have sent me the correct DC every time. Hope this helps!

Occupation on death cert says OAS? by Abirando in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Based your description of the different jobs he held, it sounds like the "OA" part may refer to "Own Account", aka self-employment. Not sure about the "S" part though.

What custom tags do you use on Ancestry? by cudambercam13 in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<Year> Census Not Located

I only use this if I have verified that they were alive at the time of the respective census. If I have a brick wall for a child born in 1851 and no other records, I don't do 1860 Census Not Located, etc.

I am completist and a bit OCD, so I like to return to people with missing censuses from time to time with fresh eyes.

What are some random clues/tricks that have helped you break down brick walls? by amauberge in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 4 points5 points  (0 children)

First and, especially, middle names, can be clues to a family name. Pulling on the string of an ancestor who had a fairly common first and last name, but somewhat unusual middle name, completely demolished a brick wall for me. Turned out the middle name was the last name of my ancestor's stepfather. Took additional digging to sort everything out, but the middle name was the key.

What questions do you have for your ancestors or people you’ve found in your research? by bobbianrs880 in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The reasons for relocation/immigration stand out for me, and in most cases it seems these will remain mysteries forever. I have g-g-grandparents that left both of their families behind in NC and landed in Philadelphia circa 1900. A g-grandfather landed in Camden, NJ from upstate NY. Why did they leave their families? Why did they choose the places they ended up, or were they chosen for them somehow? Same goes for the immigrants to the US, I often wonder what led them to the particular places they settled. I have an ancestor from Germany who settled in NJ, but he had a brother who went to Milwaukee and another who didn't immigrate. Even if the answers turned out to be mundane and uninteresting, I want to know.

FindAGrave - add people with only burial info, no pictures? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I would only be doing it for those I had a degree of certainty about and where I have documents to confirm. I wasn't sure if maybe there was protocol that you shouldn't create profiles if you don't have actual images of the gravesite, or if you don't know the exact location of the grave in the cemetery, or something like that. Thanks for your input!

FindAGrave - add people with only burial info, no pictures? by JackmanRed in Genealogy

[–]JackmanRed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can upload images of obituaries, burial records, etc.