Filling in your Family History Story

Getting the whole story about your ancestors is more than just building a family tree. These 7 suggestions will help you discover your ancestor's whole story.

This video, a viewer suggestion, helps identify ways to find those fun facts and family stories which really help you know your family’s history and bring your genealogy to life. If you are writing about your family history, this is essential because it will make your book SO much more interesting!

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0:00 Intro
1:14 Look at document images - all of them
3:06 Look for clues in records
4:05 Newspapers are a great resource!
5:38 County history and biography books
6:45 Family stories
7:21 Free FamilySearch tree
10:46 Travel to your ancestral homes
11:57 Bonus book ideas

Learning about your ancestors is fun! It’s detective work at its best. Discovering those who came before you is a treasure hunt with great rewards! My professional genealogy business, Ancestry Consulting by Aimee, and my You Tube channel were born out of a desire to help others discover their family history. I have been working on my genealogy since a teenager and have been helping others as a professional genealogist for almost 10 years. Whether breaking through a genealogy brick wall, determining parentage through DNA matches, beginning genealogy research, or discovering your family origins, I want to help you build your family tree! While I specialize in United States genealogy, these videos outline research methods which will help you research your family history anywhere. Happy hunting!

#FamilyHistory #Genealogy #Ancestry

Music "Something Elated" by Broke for Free.

[sammott]

1:36 So true, in an image of a marriage record, turning pages led me to discover she had a double wedding with a classmate and brother's coworker, wow. Of course, I did more research from here to understand it all, but of which I wouldn't have known to do had I not clicked those arrows. And then, 2:18, who would of thought that red hair was in the family?!? And yes, newspapers are great -- my library gives free online access to normally paid for subscriptions to archived newspapers (which going back to the marriage record, I learned who this double wedding was with.) Sadly, current family stories are not an option for me, only memories, as I was disowned. I'm (slowly in my free time) piecing together the stories of an ancestor who I knew when I was a child to eventually create a published book. Keep sharing Aimee, thx!

[randywallis]

I found on 1940 census where my father was working. I looked up the company via google sent them an email asking if they still had records back that far. I was sent a copy of my father’s work history, dates wage rate and a note from the current manager saying my father must have been a very good worker because he was paid piecework plus percentage. The manager said he hadn’t ever seen that before.

[parintha]

One source that I found to be a goldmine was probate records. I have researched family history for over 50 years and the tidbits I found through those records was amazing. One of my gr-grandmother’s sisters was shot, and I found records there stating who took care of her, itemized costs, and who took care of her children while she recovered. It also had estate lists, court cases and agreements, some very interesting, that were drawn up between family members or other people. Chattel records, if you can find them, are also a great way to fill in pieces.

[worldsbeyondbooks]

I did. July 2021 I was able to visit my extended family in Texas and my cousin I stayed with took me to the cit my grandmother grew up in, where something grandfather and married but also I was able to visit my grandfathers birthplace, a small town, historic area. It was awesome!

[vpcusa]

Great video! It's not easy getting family members to talk about our history. Mostly I do it for my own amusement.

[roberthowe]

You made me laugh when you talked about other people not understand being so interested in family genealogy. You are so right about researching and documenting family history and stories, and it leads to other family members developing some interest. Great video. Maybe you can do another video where you go over some ideas on how the information can be arranged. I have thought about making books like some that you created, but I get bogged down on how to get going. I get information and options overload

[donnanorth]

I was trying to solve a adoption issue with an unknown grandfather. I thought I had identified the right man, but was unsure being my first time using DNA, and I was essentially about to accuse some man of abandonment of my father. The family lore said known mother did not marry unknown father because he had an infirmity. For over 50 years we wondered what that could mean? It was when I finally looked at the second page of the WWII draft card that described a disfigured eye that I knew I had found the man the DNA had already pointed to. Family lore can be true.

[marklazarus]

My fathers WW2 military records were apparently destroyed in a fire at a records building in, I believe, St Louis. Is there any way to find out if there are any back up records?

[CharleneCTX]

Finally figured out you were saying "mug" book, not "mud" book. Did some searching and didn't find anything on the original of the term. I suspect is comes from the police mug books which were books of mug shots used for identifying suspects.

[paulhenderson]

My 2xs great uncle lived in Portsmouth Hampshire England How do I confirm two stories about him ..He was said to set sail on the Titanic s maiden voyage be was so drunk he was totally incapable of boarding the ship. How do I reserchh this story And much.later in life he registered his small bout with the royal navy to help rescue.solderse in the d day landings how can I confirm this regards Linda from. England

[Jayhollis]

I have two brick wall ancestors one of them is my third great grandfather on my dad's side on my grandfather's side and the other one is my second great grandfather all my dad's side all my grandmother's side I can hardly find a census record or any vital record for any of them the only vital record I found was for my third great grandfather and it was a marriage record I don't know who their parents were. I've tried everything.

[holly]

I am a new subscriber and I so appreciate you sharing your knowledge! The more I learn about family history the more I love it! I recently compiled a really fun book of my pioneer ancestors and some of their stories/pictures. I would be happy to share pictures of it and explain how I did it if anyone is interested in doing something like that!

[stephenstrauss]

I descend from prominent slave-owners so the stories are pretty depressing.

[Jayhollis]

My family is more like The Beverly Hillbillies then the Addams Family.