Gena Philibert-Ortega's Profile

One of the questions I have been pondering is how do you tell your ancestors' stories? How do you tell their story, whether it's an individual ancestor, a family, or a specific family line? When I started researching genealogy, I... Continue reading

Posted Aug 24, 2023 at Legacy News

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Finding Walter Gibson - Starting with a single document

How do you start a research project when you know little about the person you're researching? Genealogists who reunite orphan heirlooms to a descendent face this problem. This funeral card is an excellent example of how to start to identify... Continue reading

Posted Jun 15, 2023 at Legacy News

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Do You Read Your Photographs?

I recently came across a Minnesota Historical Society LibGuide that really interested me. In their LibGuide, Photographs: Research & Ordering, they include a section on "images as primary sources." This got me thinking about how often we take our historical... Continue reading

Posted May 17, 2023 at Legacy News

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3 Digital Collection Resources for New York

Digital collections are one way to conduct research prior to planning a trip to an ancestral hometown. Make sure to exhaust genealogy subscription websites, local libraries, archives, and historical societies. The following three resources for New York are an example... Continue reading

Posted May 11, 2023 at Legacy News

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Not Another 1950 Census Article

You will most likely be looking at the newly released US Census by the time you read this. The release will be in its infancy, so it won’t be thoroughly indexed, and there may be bugs to work out. But... Continue reading

Posted Apr 1, 2022 at Legacy News

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How Many Photos are on Your Phone?

I have a confession to make. I am one of those people. You know. The people who have thousands of photos stored on their phones. Embarrassingly I will admit that almost 15,000 photos dating back to 2015 are on my... Continue reading

Posted Mar 24, 2022 at Legacy News

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Genealogically Related Books to Give (and Receive) this Holiday Season

It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that all I want for Christmas is books. As a researcher, I use my books over and over again for research ideas, to better understand history, and find new-to-me sources. I typically... Continue reading

Posted Dec 15, 2021 at Legacy News

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A Genealogy Mystery: Answers lead to more Questions (Part 2)

Last week I introduced you to S. Ada Miller and her mysterious political card. This week I want to talk a little bit about the research process and how to start researching with few clues. As I mentioned previously, the... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2021 at Legacy News

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What Uncommon Sources Have You Used?

It's probably not a surprise to anyone that I’m a huge fan of uncommon sources (my Legacy webinar on 25 Uncommon Sources for Your Genealogy was recently released) and I’m always on the lookout for them. Why? Because they can... Continue reading

Posted Dec 11, 2019 at Legacy News

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Sharing The Love: Ancestor Appreciation Day

Did you know that September 27th is Ancestor Appreciation Day? Ancestor Appreciation Day sounds like a holiday made especially for family historians especially since it falls just days before October which is Family History Month in the United States. This... Continue reading

Posted Sep 27, 2019 at Legacy News

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The First U.S. Census Day - August 2, 1790

Census records are one of the most important resources used by American genealogists. They are often the first records accessed when creating your family tree. Let's take a look back at the very first U.S. Census Day on August 2,... Continue reading

Posted Aug 2, 2019 at Legacy News

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Convenience and Memories in a Drive-Thru

Mention the word drive-thru and you might think of the coffee you bought this morning or maybe a special night out with your parents when you were a kid. Drive-Thrus are as American as apple pie and hamburgers. Today you... Continue reading

Posted Jul 24, 2019 at Legacy News

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3 Facts About Ice Cream on National Ice Cream Day

Happy National Ice Cream Day! Unless you’re lactose intolerant, there’s a good chance you enjoy ice cream for dessert. Ice cream is a favorite worldwide and according to IceCream.com, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Finland, and Sweden eat the... Continue reading

Posted Jul 15, 2019 at Legacy News

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French Ancestors? Learn about Bastille Day

In some cases historical revolutions lead to yearly celebrations culminating in fireworks, parades, picnics, and other celebrations. The American Revolution led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the United States we celebrate that event every 4th of... Continue reading

Posted Jul 14, 2019 at Legacy News

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What’s New At Your Genealogy Society?

Genealogy societies are so important for family historians. The continuing education, research assistance, field trips, library collections, and other membership benefits make them a must-have resource. One of the things I love about traveling to societies to present is I... Continue reading

Posted May 16, 2019 at Legacy News

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Three of My Favorite Genealogy Finding Aids

If you’re familiar with archival research you’ve heard the term “finding aid.” An archival finding aid describes the content of a collection, providing you enough information about that collection so that you can decide if it is something you need... Continue reading

Posted Apr 2, 2019 at Legacy News

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Try Goodreads for Genealogy Inspiration

Are you using Goodreads ? I will admit that I wasn’t until recently. It was one of those websites that I signed up for years ago and then almost as soon as I had, I forgot about it. Recently my... Continue reading

Posted Jan 14, 2019 at Legacy News

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The Keyboard Shortcuts I Couldn’t Live Without

Everyone loves a shortcut, right? Whether it’s a shorter way to get home from work, an easy way to pay bills, or just a simpler way to get a dreaded task accomplished, shortcuts are great. The same is true for... Continue reading

Posted Sep 20, 2018 at Legacy News

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Researching Family History in Hathi Trust

It’s no secret that I love digitized book websites. I literally beg people to use them when I give presentations. It makes sense that I would be passionate about them. These websites provide researchers access to genealogical rich information at... Continue reading

Posted Sep 10, 2018 at Legacy News

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Gena Philibert-Ortega is now following The Typepad Team

Apr 16, 2012