Pauline Cass created a 2011 Geneameme, Beyond the Internet, two and a half years before Empty Branches was launched. I’ve added a few items to her original list.

If you’d like to participate in the second go-around of this geneameme, copy and paste the list to your own document and then use bold font to record your responses.

1. Looked at microfilm/fiche for BDM indexes which go beyond the online search dates
2. Talked to elderly relatives about your family history
3. Obtained old family photos from relatives
4. Have at least one certificate (B,D,M) for each great grandparent
5. Have at least one certificate for each great great grandparent
6. Seen or held a baptismal or marriage document in a church, church archive or microfilm
7. Seen your ancestor’s name in some other form of church record (e.g. communion list, committee member, etc.)
8. Used microfilm from the Family History Library
9. Researched using microfilm for other than church records or census
10. Used cemetery burial records to learn more about the ancestor’s burial
11. Used funeral home records to learn more about your relative’s burial
12. Visited all your great grandparents’ grave sites
13. Visited all your great great grandparents’ grave sites
14. Recorded the details on your ancestor’s gravestone and photographed it
15. Obtained a great grandparent’s will or probate file
16. Obtained a great great grandparent’s will or probate file
17. Found a death certificate among will documents
18. Followed up in official records something that was found on the internet
19. Obtained a copy of your immigrant ancestor’s passenger manifest record
20. Found vintage images of your ancestor’s place of origin
21. Found an immigration nomination record or first papers filed for naturalization
22. Read a local history about your ancestor’s place of origin
23. Found school records for an ancestor
24. Researched the history of a school which your ancestor attended
25. Read a court case file involving an ancestor (not a newspaper account)
26. Located a divorce case file for an ancestor
27. Saw an ancestor’s military medals
28. Possess original military papers for an ancestor
29. Read about a battle in which your ancestor took part
30. Visited an ancestor’s military grave
31. Read about your ancestor’s military unit
32. Located your ancestor’s name on an old plat map
33. Found land records pertaining to your ancestor
34. Used gazetteers to learn about places where your ancestor lived
35. Found your ancestor’s name in a city or post office directory
36. Used local government sewerage maps for an ancestor’s street
37. Read an inquest report for an ancestor
38. Located a hospital record for your ancestor
39. Located records pertaining to an ancestor’s business if family owned
40. Researched local occupation/business records for your ancestors
41. Researched an ancestor’s adoption
42. Researched an ancestor’s insolvency
43. Located an ancestor’s passport record
44. Located an ancestor’s certificate of freedom
45. Found your ancestor’s name in a jail register
46. Found a business license for an ancestor
47. Found an ancestor’s name on a government petition
48. Found an ancestor’s citizenship document
49. Read about your ancestor in an undigitized local newspaper
50. Searched an original census book (the actual physical book in your hands) for an ancestor
51. Visited a local library/historical society/museum relevant to your family
52. Located your ancestor’s name in the Old Age Pension records or Social Security records
53. Researched an ancestor who lived in the Benevolent Asylum/Workhouse/County Farm
54. Researched an ancestor’s mental health records
55. Looked for your family in a genealogical publication of any sort (paper hard copy, not digital online)
56. Contributed family information to a genealogical publication
57. Posted a genealogy query in a publication, society or within an online group
58. Written a (hard copy, not email) letter to someone about an ancestor
59. Taken one or more DNA tests
60. Confirmed a new cousin through a DNA test
61. Surprised by DNA results
62. Joined a genealogy-related Facebook group
63. Belong to a local genealogy society
64. Belong to a national genealogy society
65. Belong to a hereditary or cultural society
66. Found an ancestor in tax records

My responses:

1. Looked at microfilm/fiche for BDM indexes which go beyond the online search dates
2. Talked to elderly relatives about your family history
3. Obtained old family photos from relatives
4. Have at least one certificate (B,D,M) for each great grandparent
5. Have at least one certificate for each great great grandparent
6. Seen or held a baptismal or marriage document in a church, church archive or microfilm
7. Seen your ancestor’s name in some other form of church record (e.g. communion list, committee member, etc.)
8. Used microfilm from the Family History Library
9. Researched using microfilm for other than church records or census
10. Used cemetery burial records to learn more about the ancestor’s burial
11. Used funeral home records to learn more about your relative’s burial
12. Visited all your great grandparents’ grave sites
13. Visited all your great great grandparents’ grave sites
14. Recorded the details on your ancestor’s gravestone and photographed it
15. Obtained a great grandparent’s will or probate file
16. Obtained a great great grandparent’s will or probate file
17. Found a death certificate among will documents
18. Followed up in official records something that was found on the internet
19. Obtained a copy of your immigrant ancestor’s passenger manifest record
20. Found vintage images of your ancestor’s place of origin
21. Found an immigration nomination record or first papers filed for naturalization
22. Read a local history about your ancestor’s place of origin
23. Found school records for an ancestor
24. Researched the history of a school which your ancestor attended
25. Read a court case file involving an ancestor (not a newspaper account)
26. Located a divorce case file for an ancestor
27. Saw an ancestor’s military medals
28. Possess original military papers for an ancestor
29. Read about a battle in which your ancestor took part
30. Visited an ancestor’s military grave
31. Read about your ancestor’s military unit
32. Located your ancestor’s name on an old plat map
33. Found land records pertaining to your ancestor
34. Used gazetteers to learn about places where your ancestor lived
35. Found your ancestor’s name in a city or post office directory
36. Used local government sewerage maps for an ancestor’s street
37. Read an inquest report for an ancestor
38. Located a hospital record for your ancestor
39. Located records pertaining to an ancestor’s business if family owned
40. Researched local occupation/business records for your ancestors
41. Researched an ancestor’s adoption
42. Researched an ancestor’s insolvency
43. Located an ancestor’s passport record
44. Located an ancestor’s certificate of freedom
45. Found your ancestor’s name in a jail register
46. Found a business license for an ancestor
47. Found an ancestor’s name on a government petition
48. Found an ancestor’s citizenship document
49. Read about your ancestor in an undigitized (paper copy) local newspaper
50. Searched an original census book (the actual physical book in your hands) for an ancestor
51. Visited a local library/historical society/museum relevant to your family
52. Located your ancestor’s name in the Old Age Pension records or Social Security records
53. Researched an ancestor who lived in the Benevolent Asylum/Workhouse/County Farm
54. Researched an ancestor’s mental health records
55. Looked for your family in a genealogical publication of any sort (paper hard copy, not digital online)
56. Contributed family information to a genealogical publication
57. Posted a genealogy query in a publication, society or within an online group
58. Written a (hard copy, not email) letter to someone about an ancestor
59. Taken one or more DNA tests
60. Confirmed a new cousin through a DNA test
61. Surprised by DNA results
62. Joined a genealogy-related Facebook group
63. Belong to a local genealogy society
64. Belong to a national genealogy society
65. Belong to a hereditary or cultural society
66. Found an ancestor in tax records

51 positive responses – pretty good!

Feel free to post your own answers to this geneameme, but please credit Pauline Cass using the link at the top of this post.