Family History Research

I can't be in two places at once, so I have to figure out which of these seminars I'm going to make it to in the spring! There are so many useful topics, I'm going to have a hard time narrowing it down. Some of these are short monthly meetings, others are full-day seminars, and a few are multi-day conferences. IGHR is the  Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research , a conference held in Athens, Georgia, each year. It is pricey but the opportunity to learn how to do my job better is priceless! Registration is open now! Georgia March 7, Statesboro, GGS Quarterly Meeting, Ancestry.com March 9, Warner Robbins, CGGS meeting, land records March 14, 10am, Morrow, GA Archives tour April 4, Morrow, Symposium, Georgia History Topics July 26-31, Athens, IGHR Conference Tennessee March 21, Brentwood, MTGS, meeting topic PERSI April 3-4, Germantown, TNGS Spring Seminar Alabama March 7, Moody, ALGen Spring Seminar, Slavery Record Archvies March 8-9, Birmingham, AGS Spring ...

When I began this project, I only knew a few small details about Margaret Griffin from the social column of the Gadsden, Alabama newspaper and from her children’s death certificates. I made a plan, which I shared in Part 1  and I stuck to it until I finally Found A Way Through!  In Part 3, I found Margaret's obituary in an unexpected place. This document provided some key details, confirming her maiden name is Roden and leading me to the name of her brother, Solomon Roden of Albertville, Alabama. The next day, I used these details to unlock the mystery of Margaret's family history and the tragic death of her father and grandfather in a Civil War era massacre. “Margaret Roden Griffin” (1861-1935) Margaret Roden was born in Marshall County, Alabama, in March of 1861 (1900 Census). Her mother, Mary Hardcastle Stephens, was the second wife of James Roden (Alabama Marriages, 1805-1967) following the death of his first wife, Mary Rhea. Mary took care of James's eight...

Photo Courtesy of @anniespratt In  Part 1 of "Finding a Way Through"  I provided a list of tips to break through Brick Walls in your Family Tree, which I have been following throughout this study of Margaret Griffin. In  Part 2 of this series , I had great intentions of jumping in to researching my great-great-grandmother, Margaret Griffin, who had been a mystery to me for many year. Last time, in Part 3, I got to work in earnest on discovering Margaret's past. I had been looking for her obituary for a long time, but couldn’t find any record of death for Margaret Griffin in Alabama. I needed Broaden the Search  to Louisiana and Georgia, where her adult children lived. I did some research on each of her children, to see if they took care of their mother after John passed away in 1925. At last, I found Margaret was living with her son, James, in New Orleans in 1935. I knew that Margaret was buried in Gadsden, Alabama, and couldn't believe she had passed aw...

Photo Courtesy of @anniespratt In  Part 1 of "Finding a Way Through"  I provided a list of tips to break through Brick Walls in your Family Tree. In Part 2 of this series , I had great intentions of jumping in to researching my great-great-grandmother, Margaret Griffin, who had been a mystery to me for many year. Since clients always come before my personal projects, four week went by before I was able to work on my family tree Brick Wall. Fortunately, I have had great success with my research into the life of Margaret Griffin. If I didn't, I would tell you that too! But this time, it turned out great, and I always love a chance to tell the story of the women in my family , since historical record tends to focus on men. Today I am going to tell you about how I discovered the truth behind my great-great-grandmother's family line, and in Part 4, I will summarize my results. Following My Own Advice and Finding a Way Through I like to start with a new sheet...