Motivation Monday - Only Research Straight Up That Direct Line. What?

Editor's note: Today's post was written by  Sandra Gardner-Benward


Just finished listening/watching another good webinar  in the comfort of my home on my computer. It was presented by the Southern California Genealogical Society.  Most of you know, but not everyone knows, that they put on a free public online webinar once a month, sometimes twice a month. One of the great benefits of SCGS membership is that you have access to the archives of past webinars. This is not the only group that does this type of outrearch and education to the community. But what a great way to be recognized, and communicate & educate the community. Legacy FamilyTree  offers the same thing with their free public webinars. Great way to learn and learn from home. Of course this is an expensive endeavor and takes specific equipment and software, & the most important ingredient: dedication to do the job on a regular basis. I guess this is why I have the utmost appreciation for any group that undertakes this type of activity and I will be supporting them all.........  I LOVE LEARNING!

Breaking down those BrickWalls Sideways- one brick at a time

Today's webinar from SCGS was with
  
Gary M. Smith - “Around Brick Walls Sideways: Using Collateral Lines To Further Your Genealogical Research.”              Big Thank You Again to SCGS & Paula Hinkel.

It was very informative. Something I already do but looking new research tool to help in my search for ancestors and living descendants too. Of course techniques to do these collateral lines is no different than doing your direct line research, but hopefully it will help break down those brickwalls in your direct line.   You can see why I would be a big fan (hahaha! no pun intended) of the F. A. N. research tool........  Friends, Associates and Neighbors....... this to me is like researching your collateral lines only these are people that your ancestors may have worked with, or life-long friends, neighbors that may have moved with them from the old country to America or just moved from town to town following where the jobs were. IE: mining, railroads, shipping.

Unlike some other researcher I know, I do research everyone........ all my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all their families and children and then go back as far as possible on each line. I have found this a very valuable research tool. I have found lots of information on my direct line by researching all these other lines..... I find it extremely interesting and very satisfying to know all I can. Now don't ask me if I remember it all, but that is what my software program is for, and/or pad and pencil.

I can't imagine researching only direct line and ignoring everyone else. Doesn't make much sense to me at all. I want more information than just dates and places, I want to know what they did, how they felt, what they liked, what they didn't like, their physical appearance, their activities, what groups, clubs and organizations they belonged too, what education did they have? I want to know the person not just the date and location of their birth and death. When you research your collateral lines you research the step-children, the step parents, the half brothers and sisters......... you need to think about the factors that influence their lives as they grew up....... the parents that raised you may not be the biological parents.

OK OK this is my take of Collateral Research. What about you? Are you doing collateral research or just direct line?

Reclaiming Kin
 Cyndi's List - a whole section: Hit a BrickWall: Cluster and Collateral Genealogy
FamilyTree.com

Do your own GOOGLE search and see what you come up with...........

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