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.
- Looked at microfilm/fiche for BDM indexes which go beyond the online search dates
- Talked to elderly relatives about your family history
- Obtained old family photos from relatives
- Have at least one certificate (B,D,M) for each great grandparent
- Have at least one certificate for each great great grandparent
- Seen or held a baptismal or marriage document in a church, church archive or microfilm
- Seen your ancestor’s name in some other form of church record (e.g. communion list, committee member, etc.)
- Used microfilm from the Family History Library
- Researched using microfilm for other than church records or census
- Used cemetery burial records to learn more about the ancestor’s burial
- Used funeral home records to learn more about your relative’s burial
- Visited all your great grandparents’ grave sites
- Visited all your great great grandparents’ grave sites
- Recorded the details on your ancestor’s gravestone and photographed it
- Obtained a great grandparent’s will or probate file
- Obtained a great great grandparent’s will or probate file
- Found a death certificate among will documents
- Followed up in official records something that was found on the internet
- Obtained a copy of your immigrant ancestor’s passenger manifest record
- Found vintage images of your ancestor’s place of origin
- Found an immigration nomination record or first papers filed for naturalization
- Read a local history about your ancestor’s place of origin
- Found school records for an ancestor
- Researched the history of a school which your ancestor attended
- Read a court case file involving an ancestor (not a newspaper account)
- Located a divorce case file for an ancestor
- Saw an ancestor’s military medals
- Possess original military papers for an ancestor
- Read about a battle in which your ancestor took part
- Visited an ancestor’s military grave
- Read about your ancestor’s military unit
- Located your ancestor’s name on an old plat map
- Found land records pertaining to your ancestor
- Used gazetteers to learn about places where your ancestor lived
- Found your ancestor’s name in a city or post office directory
- Used local government sewerage maps for an ancestor’s street
- Read an inquest report for an ancestor
- Located a hospital record for your ancestor
- Located records pertaining to an ancestor’s business if family owned
- Researched local occupation/business records for your ancestors
- Researched an ancestor’s adoption
- Researched an ancestor’s insolvency
- Located an ancestor’s passport record
- Located an ancestor’s certificate of freedom
- Found your ancestor’s name in a jail register
- Found a business license for an ancestor
- Found an ancestor’s name on a government petition
- Found an ancestor’s citizenship document
- Read about your ancestor in an undigitized local newspaper
- Searched an original census book (the actual physical book in your hands) for an ancestor
- Visited a local library/historical society/museum relevant to your family
- Located your ancestor’s name in the Old Age Pension records or Social Security records
- Researched an ancestor who lived in the Benevolent Asylum/Workhouse/County Farm
- Researched an ancestor’s mental health records
- Looked for your family in a genealogical publication of any sort (paper hard copy, not digital online)
- Contributed family information to a genealogical publication
- Posted a genealogy query in a publication, society or within an online group
- Written a (hard copy, not email) letter to someone about an ancestor
- Taken one or more DNA tests
- Confirmed a new cousin through a DNA test
- Surprised by DNA results
- Joined a genealogy-related Facebook group
- Belong to a local genealogy society
- Belong to a national genealogy society
- Belong to a hereditary or cultural society
- Found an ancestor in tax records
My responses:
- Looked at microfilm/fiche for BDM indexes which go beyond the online search dates
- Talked to elderly relatives about your family history
- Obtained old family photos from relatives
- Have at least one certificate (B,D,M) for each great grandparent
- Have at least one certificate for each great great grandparent
- Seen or held a baptismal or marriage document in a church, church archive or microfilm
- Seen your ancestor’s name in some other form of church record (e.g. communion list, committee member, etc.)
- Used microfilm from the Family History Library
- Researched using microfilm for other than church records or census
- Used cemetery burial records to learn more about the ancestor’s burial
- Used funeral home records to learn more about your relative’s burial
- Visited all your great grandparents’ grave sites
- Visited all your great great grandparents’ grave sites
- Recorded the details on your ancestor’s gravestone and photographed it
- Obtained a great grandparent’s will or probate file
- Obtained a great great grandparent’s will or probate file
- Found a death certificate among will documents
- Followed up in official records something that was found on the internet
- Obtained a copy of your immigrant ancestor’s passenger manifest record
- Found vintage images of your ancestor’s place of origin
- Found an immigration nomination record or first papers filed for naturalization
- Read a local history about your ancestor’s place of origin
- Found school records for an ancestor
- Researched the history of a school which your ancestor attended
- Read a court case file involving an ancestor (not a newspaper account)
- Located a divorce case file for an ancestor
- Saw an ancestor’s military medals
- Possess original military papers for an ancestor
- Read about a battle in which your ancestor took part
- Visited an ancestor’s military grave
- Read about your ancestor’s military unit
- Located your ancestor’s name on an old plat map
- Found land records pertaining to your ancestor
- Used gazetteers to learn about places where your ancestor lived
- Found your ancestor’s name in a city or post office directory
- Used local government sewerage maps for an ancestor’s street
- Read an inquest report for an ancestor
- Located a hospital record for your ancestor
- Located records pertaining to an ancestor’s business if family owned
- Researched local occupation/business records for your ancestors
- Researched an ancestor’s adoption
- Researched an ancestor’s insolvency
- Located an ancestor’s passport record
- Located an ancestor’s certificate of freedom
- Found your ancestor’s name in a jail register
- Found a business license for an ancestor
- Found an ancestor’s name on a government petition
- Found an ancestor’s citizenship document
- Read about your ancestor in an undigitized (paper copy) local newspaper
- Searched an original census book (the actual physical book in your hands) for an ancestor
- Visited a local library/historical society/museum relevant to your family
- Located your ancestor’s name in the Old Age Pension records or Social Security records
- Researched an ancestor who lived in the Benevolent Asylum/Workhouse/County Farm
- Researched an ancestor’s mental health records
- Looked for your family in a genealogical publication of any sort (paper hard copy, not digital online)
- Contributed family information to a genealogical publication
- Posted a genealogy query in a publication, society or within an online group
- Written a (hard copy, not email) letter to someone about an ancestor
- Taken one or more DNA tests
- Confirmed a new cousin through a DNA test
- Surprised by DNA results
- Joined a genealogy-related Facebook group
- Belong to a local genealogy society
- Belong to a national genealogy society
- Belong to a hereditary or cultural society
- 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.
Thanks for doing this meme Linda and also for linking back. It proves just how much we can still achieve when we move beyond the Internet, as fun as that is.