1For everything there is a season,a time for every activity under heaven.2A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest.3A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up.4A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to grieve and a time to dance.5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away.6A time to search and a time to quit searching.A time to keep and a time to throw away.7A time to tear and a time to mend.A time to be quiet and a time to speak.8A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war and a time for peace.
As a genealogy enthusiast I have been through lots of seasons in my research. Often it seems there is not enough time or the season is too short. I have been following the Family History Writing Challenge in an effort to organize what I know about my ancestor, what I think is a possibility, and what I can prove to be accurate. I have found I can disprove more than I can prove. It would be awesome if the season would change and I could turn this around and prove more than I can disprove.
Is it possible to not leave a footprint in legal documents during the 19th century? I would think not. If he owned property (he did) then there should be a record in the town where he purchased or sold or lost possession of that lot. The next step should be to find the record. Logically it should be in the town records not the courthouse, correct? If so, the city clerk's office should have a plat book, perhaps. Was the book microfilmed by the Utah Genealogical Society (LDS)? That possibility leads to FamilySearch to search their catalog. If found there, the next step is to either order the microfilm (4-6 week wait) or request a search for a fee. The other possibility is to request help from Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness on Facebook. Further research into what records are available for that area where he lived, in my case Ohio, would be helpful. Many years ago I requested and received a Genealogy Research Outline for the state of Ohio from the National Archives. Cyndi's List is another helpful place to find out more information about the area. Google is one of my favorite search engines and I use it religiously. Do you use a search engine that gets better results? I search for web sites that might have more information about an event or particular place . I feel that background information is helpful in understanding what I may or may not be able to find.
Life always interjects into our time other seasons; whether it's looking for a job, pursuing other hobbies and pastimes, etc. So, we lay our research aside, for the time being. It will still be there when it's season rolls around again.
What keeps you motivated?
Search engines: I had high hopes for Mocavo, but I don't think it has lived up to expectations...
ReplyDeleteI Agree! With Search Engine Optimization being used on most of the websites published these days, it is hard to find results with any search engine that are truly beneficial. I feel companies would be better off using their resources for other pursuits instead of trying to create a better search engine.
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