Check out organizations

Your ancestors did not live in a vacuum, they had neighbors and family. They interacted with people in a variety of ways. One of them may have been through organizations.

Check the area where your ancestor lived for fraternal organizations, religious organizations, ethnic organizations, men's lodges, clubs, political groups and don't forget the women. They may have been part of women's organizations as well. Whether or not there are records is questionable but at the very least you should be able to get some ideas from the newspapers.

Knowing who your ancestors were spending their leisure time with can only add more flesh to your bare bones genealogies.

Interesting genealogy blogs

The Internet has opened up many new sources of research material. Bloggers are offering researchers some shortcuts to information they have already discovered. Whether you are looking for those who share your interests or even your own family, searching the Internet for blogs can lead to hours of entertainment and there is always the possibility that someone will have the way to break down some of your brick walls. Defining what are the best genealogy blogs is impossible since everyone has different interests but these are all ones that are entertaining.

Civil War Days and Those Surnames, according to the writer of this blog Dennis Selegquist this site deals with surnames of the wars of the United States, up to the Civil War, and the civilians of the same era. It will also cover the surnames of the Colonial era. This site is to help all searchers find a lead to their family lines (including Native American ancestors). This site will cover the years from 1700 to the early 1900s.


The blog certainly does list plenty of names and it covers a wide variety of war-related events. It is well written and contains pictures and easy to read text. Biographical information is plentiful and since it has been in existence since 2006, there are lots of entries to go through. If you think you have ancestors who fought in almost any conflict, take the time to give this blog a look. The author has three other sites as well.

If you love the obscure, the unusual and the just plain unique, Detour Through History is a great blog for you to enjoy. This blog is so much fun you will want to read all the entries even if no one from your family is included. According to the author of the blog, it is an effort to catch bits and pieces of history slipping from the "finger-tips of memory." The author is an avid blogger and has several others. This is one of the most enjoyable blogs you will ever read and if you get lucky, one of your ancestors many have taken a detour through history.

Tangled Trees is another interesting blog that has a wide variety of entries dating from 2009. There is an index along the left-hand side that lets you go to a particular entry that you think might be of interest. The subject matter is wide and the blog is well done. Among the entries are one about the Battle of Germantown and an entry on the Old Dominion Steamship Company.

If the thought of tracing your ancestry using DNA excites you, The Genetic Genealogist offers the latest news in the field. The blog has been around since 2007 and offers genealogist yet another tool to add to their arsenal. The author Blaine Bettinger has a Ph.D in Biochemistry with a concentration in genetics. His own genealogy interests have led to his wanting to share what he has learned from other genealogists. Very interesting blog for those looking to tap into their origins.


These are just a few of the hundreds of genealogy blogs that are out there. Many blogs are of a personal nature and deal with one family and person research. If one of them happens to match your interest you may have found what all genealogist are looking for, the answer to your missing links.