When the trail of clues in your family history search starts to muddle, or get nowhere, this should be time to know that you’re actually running into a brick wall.

If your research on a particular ancestor runs into a stopping point, don’t panic.

It’s just time you CHANGE YOUR GAME PLAN.

1. Gather your magnifying glass,
2. Note taking materials (paper, pencil)
3. Digital camera,
4. Mini tape recorder for interviews
5. List of QUESTIONS to be answered

Here are some possible tips to follow.

1.      Doing your family tree research you will usually  run across other relatives who have the same descendants. The information they have on some of your people could be helpful to you.  COMPARE NOTES &  select the information that could allow you to build your family tree – try to fill up the blank spaces in your family tree.
2.      REVIEW &  organize the details you already have for your family history knowledge of your own family.   Reviewing your facts sometimes help you discover clues that you are not seeing – new perspectives are a great blessing many times.
3.       Go back to the ORIGINAL SOURCE. Who knows – MISREADING names, places, relationships, and other mistakes can happen!   Just go back to your original records — photocopies or digital copies of any document or transcription – good thing you RECORDED (made & stored copies) of all documents and clues you found ,even if you did not know whether the information you found was important or not.
4.      If you hit a brick wall on a certain ancestor — extend your family history search to OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS OR NEIGHBORS. If you can’t find a birth certificate of your ancestor which lists his or her parents, try finding documentation for the siblings –  Re-check the original sources –  find out if something was read or incorrectly entered from a census record or other documentation – maybe a  misinterpreted a migration pattern or life event.  (Are you glad you were careful in your documentation now?)
5.      Even if your ancestor or descendant were living in the same town or county their whole existence – physical and jurisdiction  lines or BOUNDARIES CHANGE– leading to  simply searching in the wrong location, direction, or  jurisdiction. Over time, a town, city or county’s boundaries and limits will change, and the civil records or census figures may also be transferred from one entity to another – look for maps, charts, or information about any changes .
6.      Brick wall still  in your family history search –  ASK FOR HELP ONLINE.

Places to check for information —

1.      Post a question to a genealogical forum,
2.      Read community message board,
3.      Search Web sites
4.      Visit the local historical, library, or genealogical society
5.      Investigate the local newspaper’s office .

Prepare for visits –

1.      Tell them what you already know
2.      Identify what you would like to know about your ancestor.
3.      Prepare to document your findings with pictures, notes, or making copies of the information you find

HAPPY HUNTING!!!

     Well researched – blanks are filled in as completely as possible – if you are unsure of some information, check it out with other relatives or documentation before putting it onto you family tree.    Remember George Washington said – “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” (thank you Rosencrantz & Guildenstern for sharing this quote) – the point is to not give up on finding correct information – your tree will eventually become perfect

Have Fun creating your perfect FAMILY TREE ! 

Computer software can keep track of:

1. relatives names
2. birth dates,
3. their origins,
4. research 
5. life stories
6. pictures
7. calendar’s
8. keep track of other vital information
9. digital records of our family history (documentation).

Reasons for using computer technology to:

1. trace and track your family tree,
2. network with other family researchers,
3. learn more about your ancestors,
4. build a sense of family pride,
5. management & storage,
6. sharing of family history details,
7. less time-consuming than writing,
8. better accuracy,
9. more enjoyable.

What do I need in  Family Tree Software?

1. GEDCOM program (Genealogical Date Communication) – import/export
2. management tools for people, pictures,storage,

3. Web-publishing tools (share information with family around the world)

How can I obtain  Family Tree Software?

1. purchase a family tree software  (store/local book store/computer shop,),
2. download programs off the Internet Web sites  LIKE:
3. Ancestry.com
4. FamilyTreeMaker,
5. Legacy Family
6. Roots Web
7. other online stores that offer an assortment of genealogy tracing products, add-on programs and services

     Tracing your family roots can be exciting & fun.   Maybe,  somewhere in the past your great, great grandfather was a notorious pirate, scalawag, royalty, sheriff, miner, or a decorated war-time hero. Finding all about your family’s roots does not happen in a single day or overnight,BUT the use of family tree software can make the process much easier and whole lot more enjoyable. Using computer software you can  save yourself valuable research time, save, &  protect the information you gather by converting the information into digital form.

Depending on your memory to remember all the  vital details about your family history is not enough, the family memories dim and become inaccurate with time – therefore, I suggest it would really be helpful  if you would consider storing these precious details on an electronic storage system.

1. Gather and maintain large quantities of information.
2. Information will be from DIFFERENT SOURCES.
3. Need to ensure good organization.
4. Use of Family Tree software will save time and effort.
5. Research the Internet from the genealogy program.

Some things you may WANT –

1. What will the information I gather do? – create simple & ornate family tree pictures, create web sites, include pictures, video, & audio, …
2. Will you want to share the family tree information with relatives? – post on or create websites, printing family history type reports or books
3. What kind of charts & reports will you want to print? – several templates available to print selections of reports (pedigree charts, family group records, family pictures and genealogy records), and  easy transfer of data (minimizes corruption of family tree information – GEDCOM files) .
4. Will you be able to RESEARCH the INTERNET from your family history program?

Final thoughts to address!

1. Are you willing to learn how to USE the capabilities of the software you choose? – spend the time to learn what those tools are?
2. Is this the NEWEST version of the software you chose?
3. Does the software come with updates supplied as needed ?
4. How much MONEY do you want to spend?

Few Places to Check Out

Free Places to Check – alphabetical order

Family Health Portrait –

Family Tree Maker — http://www.familytreemaker.com/

Legacy Family Tree –

PAF (Personal Ancestral File) program –

Paid Sources

Top 10 Genealogy Review Programs  –

Legacy –

Family Tree Maker 2011 –

Roots Magic –

Ancestral Quest –

Family Historian –

The Master Genealogist –

DoroT

Genbox Family History –

WinFam –

Famtree –

Steps for Diagraming A Simple Family Tree
First –  determine if you are drawing your immediate family members only, or if you will  be including your grandparents and earlier family generations. Also decide whether your family tree will include extended family such as  uncles, aunts, cousins and other relatives. Now, lets  get to work drawing a simple,  and exciting  family tree.- Start with yourself. Draw a  box located in the bottom half center of the paper. In the box, enter your name – you may also wish to include your brothers & sisters — below, especially if they don’t have children.

- Draw A “T” sideways –  add two squares on each end of the “T”. The two squares represent your parents. If you only have one parent,  consider drawing a straight line and one square –  representing you and your parent.

- Draw another sideways  “T” beside each of your parents with representative  below, to represent your grandparents.

- Begin with whatever first-hand information you have about your family. List your family ancestors  names and details (birth, death, marriage date & place if known) of every individual in your family’s history –  get your family members memories involved in helping to fill in the blanks & making corrections. Remember that it’s easier to keep track of information about living family relatives.

- If you are having trouble tracing your family’s ancestors, you may want to consider doing  your genealogy research on the Internet. The Internet contains  lots of useful sites, education, and resources that are dedicated to researching a person’s family history or lineage, and will certainly be of great help in making your journey of learning about your ancestry an easier one.
These days, there are many different tools and resources for helping you to connect your family roots or heritage. The choices include Internet ancestry records, government records, histories, printable family tree charts of all kinds, and other resources. Learn and  follow the required steps for the different types of records used, so that you’ll be able to be successful tracing your family information in a quick, simple,  and productive  manner.

     I remember my mother’s hands as she helped me prepare school presentations, learn how to use the stove, rolling pin, and pastry brush. My mother’s hands taught my hands how to prepare fruit and vegetables for canning and freezing – how to process them, and finally use them to feed my own family.

     I remember how amazed I was watching my own daughter learn to use her hands as she learned how to sew, keep house, cook,  and arrange flowers.

     The biggest reward is seeing my granddaughter learn to eat, count, be gentle with animals, musical instruments, and things around her as she begins her exploration of this beautiful world.

Here is the story – Author Unknown

    Grandma,  some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio  bench.. She didn’t move, just sat with her head down  staring at her hands.
     When  I sat down beside her she didn’t acknowledge my  presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was  OK.
     Finally,  not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to  check on her at the same time, I asked her if she  was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and  smiled. ‘Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking,’ she  said in a clear voice  strong.
     ‘I  didn’t mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were  just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted  to make sure you were OK,’ I explained to  her.
      ‘Have  you ever looked at your hands,’ she asked. ‘I mean  really looked at your  hands?’
     I  slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I  turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No,  I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I  tried to figure out the point she was  making.
     Grandma  smiled and related this  story:
‘Stop  and think for a moment about the hands you have, how  they have served you well throughout your years.  These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have  been the tools I have used all my life to reach out  and grab and embrace  life..
     ‘They  braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I  crashed upon the floor..
     They  put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a  child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.  They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held  my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to  war.
     ‘They  have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.  They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my  newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they  showed the world that I was married and loved  someone special
      They  wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when  I buried my parents and  spouse.
     ‘They  have held my children and grandchildren, consoled  neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn’t  understand.
     They  have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and  cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky  and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this  day when not much of anything else of me works real  well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again  continue to fold in  prayer.
     ‘These  hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the  ruggedness of life.
     But  more importantly it will be these hands that God  will reach out and take when he leads me home. And  with my hands He will lift me to His side and there  I will use these hands to touch the face of  God.’
     I  will never look at my hands the same again. But I  remember God reached out and took my grandma’s hands  and led her home. When my hands are hurt or sore or  when I stroke the face of my children and husband I  think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and  caressed and held by the hands of  God.
     I,  too, want to touch the face of God and feel His  hands upon my face.

     Getting to know my own ancestors and family tree members is one of the major reasons I love genealogy!

Murphy’s Law — author unknown

The public ceremony in which your distinguished ancestor participated and at which the platform collapsed under him turned out to be a hanging.

When at last after much hard work you have solved the mystery you have been working on for two years, your aunt says, "I could have told you that"

You grandmother’s maiden name that you have searched for four years was on a letter in a box in the attic all the time.

You never asked your father about his family when he was alive because you weren’t interested in genealogy then.

The will you need is in the safe on board the Titanic.

Copies of old newspapers have holes occurring only on the surnames.

John, son of Thomas, the immigrant whom your relatives claim as the family progenitor (ancestor), died on board ship at age 10.

Your great grandfather’s newspaper obituary states that he died leaving no issue (children) of record.

The keeper of the vital records you need has just been insulted by another genealogist.

The relative who had all the family photographs gave them to her daughter who has no interest in genealogy and no inclination to share.

The only record you find for your great grandfather is that his property was sold at a sheriff’s sale for insolvency.

The one document that would supply the missing link in your dead-end line has been lost due to fire, flood or war.

  The town clerk to whom you wrote for the information sends you a long handwritten letter which is totally illegible.

The spelling of your European ancestor’s name bears no relationship to its current spelling or pronunciation.

None of the pictures in your recently deceased grandmother’s photo album have names written on them.

No one in your family tree ever did anything noteworthy, owned property, was sued or was named in wills.

You learn that your great aunt’s executor just sold her life’s collection of family genealogical materials to a flea market dealer "somewhere in New York City."

Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversely proportional to the value of the data recorded.

The 37-volume, 16,000-page history of your county of origin isn’t indexed.

You finally find your great grandparent’s wedding records and discover that the brides’ father was named John Smith.

May your research be fruitful and the frustrations be low.  Happy Hunting!! BJ

Has the knowledge of our roots been of value?  I believe it is or the royal lines would never have been so diligent in maintaining their pedigrees.  Cultures would not have had different classes of people if our roots did not matter to each of us as we learn of ourselves.  Did we descend from seafaring people or people who worked the land.  It does not mean that everything that we learn will make us feel very important or will let us know we are descended from royalty.  There will be all kinds of skeletons in our history – it is fun to find out what they are.

Tools of the research include forms to help us organize our interviews with family members and friends who know about our relatives, library sources where equipment and resources can be used, internet experiences which can give help in ideas for research plus be able to access resources such as census, databases, printed materials, and pictures – a virtual treasure trove of information.  I believe we need to make sure that we have fun in our quest to learn our traditions.

As I was expecting our first grandchild to come along I thought about the things that were passed down to us through my ancestors and I realized that one of the favorite stories my mom used to tell me was:

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, “Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“ ‘Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Moral:
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

My mother made sure we learned about this story – especially the moral part.  She wanted us to learn to always learn all the sides of the situation before we took action or sides of questions.  My mom told us the story in story fashion.  When our grandchild was on the way I happened to see this rendition of the story on the internet and liked it so much decided to keep it in this form to share with my grandchildren.  This poem was written by:

American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) , based on "The Blind Men and the Elephant", a fable that was told in India many years ago (also other lands have the story also).

This story belongs in my family history as it impacted my life many times as I was trying to make decisions in life and I hope having it readily available to my family it will continue to help build what I consider good values.

I hope you have fun and can enjoy family history also.  BJ

The Tree Maker has a free downloadable family tree chart  that you can fill in and print in the information.  The trees are suitable for many occasions — including wedding, birthday, and Christmas gifts.  The Tree Maker Company has many other services they provide.  They will print customizable family trees on paper, has discounts, has information on surname and family crest searches.  You can incorporate results of the searches on different charts and other gift type items — creating  gifts and home decor of your family  from the information from your unique family.  The companyh works with ProGenealogist to help with research (pricing will be listed on their pages which are activated from the TreeMaker site.

Here are some samples of different family trees — some of which can be printed. 

Birdhouse Family Tree

Medical Family TreeFamily Tree with Descendants

Tigger Family Tree

Forest Friends Family Tree

Winter Family Tree

Rose Fan Family Tree

Donald Duck Family Tree

Donald Duck Family Tree (US) author duckman.pettho.com/tree/s_us.jpg

Title:
Donald Duck Family Tree (US)

Year:
1995

Code:
D 11221 (XNC VG930703)

Published:

All appearances:

Huey Duck, Dewey Duck, Louie Duck, ? Duck, Della Duck, Donald Duck, Gladstone Gander, Fethry Duck, Abner "Whitewater" Duck, Gus Goose, Matilda McDuck, Scrooge McDuck, Hortense McDuck, Quackmore Duck, Goostave gander, Daphne Duck, Lullubelle Loon, Eider Duck, Fanny Coot, Luke Goose, Cuthbert Coot, Downy O’Drake, Fergus McDuck, Jake McDuck, Angus "Pothole" McDuck, Humperdink Duck, Elvira "Grandma" Coot, Casey Coot, Gretchen Grebe, Quackmire McDuck, "Dirty" Dingus McDuck, Molly Mallard, Gertrude Gadwall, Clinton Coot, Sir Roast McDuck, Sir Swamphole McDuck, Hugh "Seafoam" McDuck, Malcolm McDuck, Sir Quackly McDuck, Sir Stuft McDuck, Sir Eider McDuck, Pintail Duck, Cornelius Coot.

Sidebar (Friends of the family):
Daisy Duck, April, May, June, Gyro Gearloose.

The signs:
The Clan McDuck, The Duck Family, Coot Kin

Hope you enjoy seeing some of the ideas for family tree charts or forms.  We will explore other ways of creating Family Tree Charts in the future but for now — Let your creative ideas help your family produce an appropriate design to display and track your family.  ENJOY!! — BJ

When the product reached the home my son and I decided to do some laundry to try it out.  Neither one of us really knew what to expect.  When the laundry was completed we noticed a marked difference in how it felt – softer.  We checked to see if it was clean and we found the laundry to have no smell and the few stains on the clothes were gone.  We have used the same “nuts” for seven loads and they still seem to be good.  We have soft water and I washed in warm water with a final rinse of cold water.

I continued to experiment with the “soap nuts” and found I really enjoy the water feels when I take a bath in it.  Dishwashing I am still trying to decide.  I have done more research on the product and have put together a paper identifying some of its claims.

Soap Nuts

Use 3-5 BROKEN soap nuts in bag – expect 4-6 loads of wash per set of nuts – 7-9 HE washers

· Test nuts by putting used nuts into few ounces of water & shake — if suds still good & use

· No detergent, fabric softener or dryer sheets needed

· Bleach and pre spotter OK

· *Saponin is the agent that cleans

· * water hardness affects results

Soap Nut Liquid

3 oz water per nut – boil ½ hour – let sit until next day – boil ½ hour again – strain liquid

· Cold water prep tea – soak 4-5 nuts in very hot water for 3 minutes then add liquid to wash

· Liquid will last 2-3 weeks in refrigerator (2-3 days if not in frig) – to lengthen freeze in ice cube tray — ice cubes in water for use — diluted to whatever your needs are – (use 1 cube per wash load – spray bottle – pan of water — safe to use on body and hair <will not lather like shampoo but will clean well)

· Store in airtight container away from direct sunlight

· Used for centuries to kill head lice and athletes foot

Powdered Soap Nuts

· Grind in a coffee grinder or blender – sift out larger pieces

· Store in airtight container in cool dry area

· Indefinite storage life if dry and cool

Laundry Instructions

· Warm or Hot Water Wash — 4-5 nuts per bag (about ½ oz) – tossed in machine before clothes – remove after wash & may let dry between washes

· Hand Wash – 2 tablespoons liquid per load stirred in water before clothes in

· Powdered Nuts – 2-3 teaspoons added to water before clothes

· Liquid Nuts – ¼ cup liquid to water before clothes (shake before adding)

Other Uses with Instructions

1. Household Cleaning – full strength or dilute for floors, sinks, counters, etc

2. Car Wash – 4-5 nuts in bucket – fill ½ full with garden hose – pressure will generate more suds

3. Windows or Glass – 8 oz water + ½ oz soap nut liquid + ½ oz vinegar – Spray on, wipe clean, & dry with clean cloth

4. Dishwasher – fill dispenser – more sparkle (add ½ oz vinegar to rinse)

5. Hand Wash – 2 Tablespoons to wash

6. Steam Cleaning Carpets – ¼ cup to the hot water

7. Jewelry – soak in liquid a few minutes – use soft toothbrush – rinse with clear water – dry with soft cloth

8. Pets – soak in liquid soap nuts a few minutes – clean them up – rinse well – dry – enjoy the fresh smell and nice coat

9. Shampoo – leave on about 5 minutes before rinsing off – if you think you need more lather can use a little shampoo but is not really necessary

Tips

· Soap nut last longer using warm as opposed to hot water

· Soft water requires fewer nuts than hard water

· Add @ 10 drops essential oil to bag if you need a scent for your laundry

· Will not remove heavy stains – pretreat as you would usually

· May use oxygen bleach in laundry

· Perform better if wash load is not overloaded (fewer clothes in washer better circulation)

· Few suds – will clean are remove soap residue from clothes

· Soap nuts – when become thin, mushy, tan, or light grey they have completed their work – time to compost them

· Other uses are still being found

· Hypoallergenic

Thank you and hope you enjoy the experiment also.  — BJ