October 2, 2026

What My German Research Changed About the Way I Do Genealogy | AF-1322


German genealogy changed the way I research. I didn’t plan on changing anything. At first, I was simply trying to follow another branch of my family tree, but I soon found that some of the habits that worked well for me in American records wouldn’t get me very far. A name, an approximate birth year, and a record saying someone came from Germany still weren’t enough information to know where to look next...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/german-genealogy-research-lessons/

Ancestral Findings Podcast:
https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups:
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Genealogy Giveaway:
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October 1, 2026

Why Do Some Ancestors Feel Closer Than Others? | AF-1321


A photograph can change things quickly. Until then, I may know a person only through census entries, deeds, handwritten records, or a name on a family tree. Then I see a face. I notice the eyes, the clothes, the way someone is standing, or the expression the camera happened to catch. I still don’t know what that person was thinking, but now there’s a face attached to everything I’ve been finding.

A family story can do something similar. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Maybe someone remembered the way an ancestor laughed, what she liked to cook, the chair he always sat in, or a saying everybody associated with him. Details like those rarely appear in official records, yet one small memory can make a person easier to imagine than a folder full of documents...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/why-do-some-ancestors-feel-closer-than-others/

Ancestral Findings Podcast:
https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups:
https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

Genealogy Giveaway:
https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway


Check out this episode!