Blog posts

A genealogy strategy for researching common surnames like Smith or Jones, using cluster research to track neighbors and witnesses instead of the name alone.

What the science says about using DNA tests to prove Native American ancestry, including why autosomal results cannot confirm tribal citizenship.

A step by step guide to finding your biological father using AncestryDNA matches, shared matches, and mirror trees, written for real searches.

A practical triage system for sorting inherited family papers and ephemera into what to archive, what to digitize, and what to let go.

What was daily life like for a coal miner in the 1800s? Learn about the dawn to dusk shifts, black lung risk, and scrip pay behind that one word on a census record.

Practical AI prompts for genealogy records, including how to transcribe faded handwriting and translate old family documents into plain English.

Your ancestor may have lived on the same land for fifty years and still show up in three different counties. Here's why, and how to finally track them down.

Stuck on a genealogy brick wall? Run this 10-step research audit to catch transcription errors, timeline gaps, and missed records that are blocking your family tree.

Trying to choose between Ancestry and FamilySearch? This honest, detailed comparison covers records, cost, family trees, DNA tools, and who each platform is actually best for.

Learn how to protect your digital family history with the 3-2-1 backup strategy: 3 copies, 2 media types, and 1 offsite location. A practical guide for anyone who can't afford to lose irreplaceable family memories to a hard drive failure.