Every January, I set a new genealogy goal. This year, I challenged myself to transform decades of family research into engaging narratives—a goal as exciting as it was intimidating. I found myself wondering: Where should I begin? Should I start at my own story or dive into the farthest reaches of my ancestry, where brick walls often appear? How best to organize it all—by region, period, or perhaps by keeping different family lines separate? Once organized, what’s the ideal format: an eBook, a physical volume, or something entirely different?
I took the plunge in January and ended up self-publishing two family books. I’m now working on a third, with a fourth possibility on the horizon. Yet amid the progress, one thing lingers—I wished I’d discovered Doug Tattershall’s Storytelling for Genealogists – Turning Family Lineage into Family History sooner.
Doug’s book is a delightful, practical guide filled with creative ideas and actionable tips. With a background in journalism, he cuts straight to the heart of the matter: while meticulous research and accurate record-keeping are essential, they alone won’t preserve your family’s legacy. The true magic lies in writing compelling stories that breathe life into your ancestors. I especially appreciated his thoughtful examples for making people’s lives memorable and his sensitive approach to ethically sharing delicate family details.
For anyone feeling daunted by the prospect of writing family histories, Doug’s work is a must-read. By the end of this engaging and accessible book, you’ll not only gain confidence in your ability to craft captivating narratives, but you’ll also learn strategies that can help turn a mountain of research into a legacy that lives on for generations.
I do have one regret: I could have benefited immensely from the short planning guide included in the back of the book. It’s a reminder that just as we plan our research strategies—especially when confronting those stubborn brick walls—we should also plan our storytelling approach.
Whether your family’s memories are best captured on paper or through auditory storytelling, Doug offers creative ideas for every style. I’ve already recommended his book to several colleagues who had been hesitating to start their own writing journeys. If you’re ready to preserve your family history in a way that truly resonates, I encourage you to check out Doug Tattershall’s guide—available through Genealogical.com.
I bet with the approaching holidays you and your loved ones will be taking loads of pictures! Back in the day, it was exciting to get the film developed. Sort of like reliving the same experience over. Now, I take so many photos that I use my cell camera for mundane tasks. What is the name of that weed or is it a native flower? Snap it and check and app. Love that item in a store but aren’t sure the price is right. Click the pic and then look for it elsewhere.
Although these new uses for a camera are wonderful, they aren’t if we are treating the important photos we take carelessly. Do you ever save your phone photos? If so, where?
Here’s what I’ve been doing since Google Photo lost some of my pictures several years ago. I now have my photos saved to a different Cloud. That way, I can remove them from my phone. Why do I do that? Because I’ve had phone accidents where I couldn’t retrieve data, and I don’t want my precious photo memories gone forever.
When my kids were young, I was a scrapbooker and I saved the best of the best by including them with a story of the event. It took a lot of time, but it was fun. I’m not sure it was worth it, though, as I’ve passed them on to my adult kids who have no space for them. One is in boxes in an attic and the other complained about having to move them twice this year while doing renovations. Those, too, ended up in the attic for a while. Sigh.
During the pandemic one of my kids gave me a photo album that can only hold one picture on each page. The idea was to only save a small amount of the very best photos from my overseas travels. I was pining to travel, and this was a way to get me to relive what I had done and plan for what was to come. And oh boy, did travel come! In the past year and a half, I’ve visited Germany twice, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, and Canada.
The weather outside is frightfully cold so I’ve ordered two more albums and will spend my time indoors reliving those memories by printing from my printer using photo paper and affixing those special pics into the book. They really are genealogical treasures as on my travels I always make time for family research.
The beauty of these albums is that they don’t take up much space and I’ll be passing on to future generations my findings as I write a sentence or two of what the location is about. Next week I’ll be writing about my most memorable learning experiences this year. It will be my last post of the year.
Do you get out your favorite family recipes during this time of year? Cookie recipes always remind me of my mom who once worked in a bakery. We’d spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving making batches of our favorites to share with family and friends – Mexican Wedding Cookies, Kolaches, Swedish Oatmeal Cookies, Chocolate Chip, Holiday Many Way (peanut butter/nut/sugar), and my favorite to get creative with – cookie cutter sugar cookies. One year I painted them like stained glass with food coloring. Other times I iced them with different color frosting. Mom would make those first so I’d stay out of the way decorating while she zipped through making the rest.
Perhaps your cookie recipes are getting a tad frayed. Batter stains, greasy fingers, and age aren’t kind to those old recipe cards. About 20 years ago, when my kids were starting to cook on their own in the kitchen, I retyped our favorite recipes into size 12 font so that my older eyes could read them easily. Once done, I made a decorative cover from card stock and took it to Office Depot to have it GBC bound. My kids still rely on that book but we’ve accumulated so many new recipes over the years that I decided it was time for an updated version.
I scanned the old book to my computer and have added new favorites. Instead of printing, I just share Google Docs with my kids. I keep a laptop in my kitchen so it’s easy for me to find the desired recipe and bring it up while I prepare the meal. The recipes have been shared so if one system fails there is a backup. No killing trees or clutter from another book. Since I store in the cloud, I can even look up ingredients needed when I’m at the grocery store. No excuses not to cook up some love!
The season is just about upon us and now is the time to think of a special gift to give to your genealogist-enthused loved one or for yourself:
The Flower Letters is an interesting gift I received for Mother’s Day – it’s a gift that lasts all year. Every two weeks the recipient will receive a snail mail letter about a historical fictional mystery. The letter is written in cursive, quite decorative, and includes additional items about the info contained in the letter, such as postcards, calling cards, maps, etc. For further education, some words are written in red, and for more information, the reader can go to the online website to learn about the topic. Currently, the company is having a fall sale so take advantage of this unique opportunity. This is a wonderful gift, especially if you are tying it in with an ancestral region.
2. Is travel in your loved one’s future plans? If so, it might be a surprise to learn that travel isn’t quite what it used to be. Lost luggage is happening more frequently so here is a way to find it quick – GPS Trackers. There are many out there so identify first if your loved one has an Android or Apple. I use one of my kid’s Apple trackers when we travel and it is peace of mind knowing that my bags can be found anywhere in the world.
3. If you want to avoid lost luggage entirely, do what we do for trips of less than two weeks – simply get a duffel bag to carry on. I highly recommend a duffel bag instead of a rolling smaller bag as lately, airlines are making you check in those roller bags at the gate. Never thought to put a tracker into a bag I was carrying but it was needed. I have since switched to a duffel. They never take those, they can be crammed under the front seat of even the tiniest planes, and your belongings stay with you.
4. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! Here’s a list of my top 6 must haves:
Griffeth, Bill. Strangers No More – This is a sequel to his memoir, A Stranger in My Genes.
Hanson, Anne. Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida – This family’s brick wall was eventually gotten over and could help if you are stumped, too.
Jones, jr. Henry Z. Psychic Roots and More Psychic Roots – These are two books by the same author – You Can read my review here and here. If your genealogist is having strange and unusual finds this might be just what they need to understand them.
Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained. 4th Edition – Revised must have
Shamblin, Rebecca. Building a Legacy – You can read my review here. For those interested in preserving and sharing their researched and sourced family tree.
Shamblin, Rebecca. Leaving a Legacy – You can read my review here. This is a must if you are planning on writing a family history book in the upcoming year.
5. Here’s a gift to give to yourself if you are age 65+ – a FREE membership to the National Genealogical Society. See if you qualify for membership through Grouper.
6. Had to laugh at a recent drawing that was held in Indy for the Indiana State Library’s Fall Genealogical Conference. The giveaway that got the most Ooohs and Ahhs was a lighted magnifying glass. Older eyes can all use this and not just for genealogy. I absolutely hate the writing on food labels that keep shrinking (or maybe it is my eyes?). More than one is nice – one to keep at home and one for the road trips to archives.
7. You’ll probably think this is dumb but it’s so important – pencils. Yep, those number twos are still used by especially beginner genealogists who are keeping records as hard copies. A big eraser also goes a long way. Personally, I prefer to digitize but I understand not everyone does that. I also like engineering pencils as I don’t have the mess of a pencil sharpener and I can take them into archives that don’t allow pens with no issues of trying to find a sharpener.
9. If your genealogist is into cemetery visits, create a cemetery to-go kit. Walmart even has an incomplete (IMHO) kit for $35.95. Add a bucket, a spray bottle, and some gardening shears to cut the grass/weeds around the stone. Include garden gloves and bug spray as well. If you want to go all out then also add a kneeler pad.
10. Your Time – seriously, just listen to what your family genealogist has discovered. Who knows, you might even get interested?!
It’s October when I typically blog about the creepy coincidences that happen to me over the past year when I am doing genealogy.
I started a bit early, mentioning how I met some Irish and Scotts relatives through my recent travels to Great Britain.
I have another story to share but there’s a back story to it so this will be a two part blog.
I’ve blogged and researched extensively on my Hollingshead family originally from Saxelby, England. Some of the findings were just down right strange! You can read about past blogs I’ve written about Daniel here, here, and here.
I’ve never before shared a personal story about why I am so interested in the Hollingshead family but I think it’s time to do so.
In 2006, after spending time with a college friend who had transferred from the U.S. to Cambridge University in England, one of my adult kids informed my husband and I that they were going to apply to medical school out of the U.S. We questioned the decision but they were adamant with no reasons other than they felt they had to do that. After several acceptances, the decision was to accept the offer to St. George’s Medical School in Grenada, West Indies. To be honest, I wasn’t wild about this decision but once I visited I felt at home. After two years of study there, students transfer to either Great Britain, Canada, or various locations in the U.S. Our adult child decided to move to New Jersey.
I am not trying to be rude New Jerseyans but I just couldn’t understand why someone would relocate from a beautiful tropical island to a snowy cold location. Really, I told my kid, no one does that. Child was insistent that this was the right place but couldn’t explain why.
The adult child finished up their degree by living in Morristown, New Jersey. We visited several times and enjoyed the small town atmosphere. On one of our visits I happened to park next to a church cemetery. I looked up and was faced with a stone for the Byrd family. I had a brick wall Byrd family from somewhere in New Jersey. I decided I would contact the church but I always found it closed and got no response to emails. If you had asked me then, I would have told you we had no connection to Morristown; I thought the Byrd family was from Trenton.
Our last trip to Morristown was in the spring as our child was graduating and would soon leave for internship in another state. We drove one of our vehicles from Florida to New Jersey so that we could have two vehicles (ours and theirs) packed with belonging while my husband drove a small U-Haul to the new location.
On the way, we experienced a major traffic jam in Tampa which delayed us. Bored, I checked my email. There was a new email from someone I didn’t know, Edgar Duer Whitley. The gentleman had found my online public tree on Ancestry.com and was excited that I was providing him info on my Duer line that he had been unable to research. I was spelling Duer as Dure – the original family spelling, so had not connected to his research. He attached his genealogical research which connected to Daniel Hollingshead. I had never heard of Daniel.
I responded I would look at the information when we returned from our trip and would get back with. It was three weeks later when I downloaded the information and I was astounded.
Our child had been residing on land that had once been owned by their 8th great grandfather. Even more astounding was that Daniel Hollingshead had relocated to New Jersey from the West Indies. So I stood corrected, others in our family beside my kid have relocated from the West Indies to New Jersey.
But there’s more…when I shared this with my child I got a laugh. Our kid had traveled around the area of Cambridge and had visited Saxelby, where Daniel Hollingshead migrated from. It was there that they got the idea to go to a medical school that was international. Was this a channeling of a long dead ancestor?
One of Daniel’s sons had become a noted physician in New Jersey. The location where our child had attended undergrad, Boston, was the same area where one of Daniel’s grandson had migrated to, Boston. My line went on to Ohio via a stop in the wilds of Virginia, now known as West Virginia. Our adult child was leaving New Jersey for West Virginia. Creepy!
We joked with our child that they would probably end up in Ohio one day since they seemed to keep following that family line’s migration route. That hasn’t happened yet, however, they live about 10 miles from the Ohio border and work as a physician in Ohio. It’s just two counties away from where the Duers, who married the Hollingshead, settled.
As for Edgar, as soon as I reviewed the information he had sent and realized the migration path I wrote to him. I never got a response. Evidently, Edgar had died in the few short weeks after he sent me his life’s work. I can’t explain how this all happened. It’s wonderfully weird and unbelievable. I may have eventually broke through my brick wall without Edgar’s research but the timing was perfect as we had a family member in the areas that I could stay with while confirming the information. I guess a side moral of this story is contact those folks you find online and share your research widely.
Next time, I’ll tell you another strange connection regarding Daniel and I that occurred while I was in Great Britain.
Photo taken at Indiana Historical Society by Lori Samuelson
I came upon this map when I visited the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis in July with the Society of Indiana Pioneers (SIP). The map was devised by SIP in 1932 to assist potential members with locating their ancestor’s county’s founding between 1790 and 1844. Indiana became a state in 1816 but had become part of the U.S.’s Northwest Territory in 1787. After statehood, as the population rose and scattered, larger counties were made into smaller ones. The pioneer settlement period in Indiana ended in 1849 so this map noted most of those changes.
Here’s a recommendation if you find a unique map either in person or online – look for another. I realize my photo is a tad hard to read but under each county there is a code of “S, O, C, L.” What does that mean?
I searched online and found the identical map with notations that explained it: S was the date of the first white settler, O was the Date of Organization, C means the first Count Occurred, and L is the first Land Entry. The codes and a blow up of the map is available online here.
Maps are an important part of genealogy. Checking to see if the resource is widely available can help you get the most out of your research.
Later this summer I will be presenting at an international conference in Boston. One of the requirements is that my Power Point Slides be in two languages, English and either French, German, or Spanish. The problem for me is that I’m presenting on what was the Austria-Hungarian region, particularly what is now Croatia, so I already have two languages on most of my slides – English and Croatian. Adding a third language makes the slides overly filled with text but it is a requirement so it is what it is.
The next issue is I don’t write well in any of the languages so I decided to use AI to help me out.
I had learned at the National Genealogical Society conference that Transcribus was an excellent source to use for translation. Funded by the European Union, it was used throughout Europe.
I created an account easily but had extreme difficulty in getting it to work. It is in English but I didn’t find it to be intuitive to use.
I first tried to upload my .ppt but it can’t read that as Chat GPT can. I then typed the text I wanted translated into Word to upload. It wouldn’t take a .doc so I had to convert to .pdf. It uploaded fine but when I tried to get the AI to learn it I received a message that I needed to add more pages, at least 20. Sigh.
I had little time to watch a YouTube video, not even sure one exists, so I decided I would upload my .pdf to Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. Interestingly, I received some very different translations.
As I said, I don’t write in French so I couldn’t be sure what I was getting was correct. Since the syllabus was due I didn’t have the luxury of having a human translation. Plus, to be honest, I didn’t want to spend the money on it.
So, I decided to try to rationalize the correct responses. Here’s how I did that:
The first difference was in translating the English word JOURNAL – as is a professional magazine. I received Revues and Journaux as my choices. I selected journaux as a revues is mostly associated with theatre.
Another difference was translating the term Coat of Arms. I received Blason from Chat GPT and Armoiries from the two other AIs. I went with Blason because it means heraldry and that was what my intention was. Armoiries can be a symbol or design varying from a crest to a family badge to a coat of arms as we think of in English.
Now I would not have thought I would have gotten diverse responses for the request to translate “Thank you for attending” but I did. Attending was the problem word – the responses were assisté (no, no one was helping me), votre presence (for your presence) and votre participation (no, no one was participating unless you consider listening as participating). So, I went with votre presence. Thank you for showing up.
We don’t really think about meaning when we are speaking. We know what we mean and just say it intuitively. AI has helped me realize that the words I use may not be the best choice in getting my message across. I believe in working to perfect the AI prompts so that I obtain exactly what I want. I believe it has helped me to improve my own speaking and writing skills. Not what I would have ever expected could be considered as an AI bonus!
I’ve been blogging alot about AI and genealogy and today I’d like to introduce you to some tools that can help you get the most out of AI and your research.
Enter GPTs! GPT is the acronym for Generative Pre Trained Transformers. All that means is this is a tech way to communicate with artificial intelligence. Other terms that are sometimes used instead of GPT are bots, assistants, and agents.
You’ve been using bots for several years though you probably didn’t know it. When you are on a website for your bank or credit card company and can’t find the info you want, you may have clicked on the Chat box. You typed in your question and hopefully, got the information you requested. If not, it usually directs you to a human.
Enter chat boxes for genealogy! The recent class that I completed on AI through the National Genealogical Society tasked us with creating GPTs for genealogy. Here are my favorites through open.ai:
GenealogyAtHeart – Yes, I created this and I’m shamelessly listing this as my favorite because I have linked it to my website. This means that all the useful hints, heartwarming stories, and recommendations to get the most out of your genealogy can be quickly accessed by you on open.ai. Yes, I do have a search box on my website but the search box will only find the terms I’ve entered into it. Through ChatGPT’s Genealogy At Heart you can find EVERYTHING I’ve entered. Side note: If we share an ancestor you’ll be able to find everything I’ve written about the individual quickly and in a summary format. If we don’t share a relative, you can still find all the hints, helpful links, and recommendations I’ve made in the over 500 blogs I’ve posted in the last 9 plus years! Have a brick wall? Need help in planning a project? Thinking of planning a genealogy research trip and don’t know where to begin? This GPT is for you!
DeKalb County, Indiana Resources – Okay, I get it! Most of you don’t have any interest in DeKalb County, Indiana but I am the county genealogist so this is very important for those people who do need this resource. I created this GPT for those folks.
I’m working on a census GPT for U.S. federal census records. Hopefully, that will be available for you your use soon. This will help you access quickly the enumerator directions, dates of the census, compare quickly census results from decade to decade, and so on.
I am not the only person creating genealogy GPTs so here are my other favorites from colleagues:
Diagrams: Show Me – for creating mind maps or showing relationship commonalities with Venn Diagrams, this is the way to go! It is a little slow so be patient. Not so good for creating a family tree.
Genealogy Eyes: Designed by Steve Little, NGS AI Director, this is an awesome one for you to try if you have a picture of a tombstone you are having trouble deciphering or an older family pic you need more info about, such as time period or event. MyHeritage does offer something similar but I’ve found Genealogy Eyes to provide more info and be more accurate (I always try something with AI that I already know the answer for first, to test for accuracy).
GPTs aren’t just about genealogy. I’ve created one for native plants, Native Green Thumb, which is another passion I have. Remember that old commercial that repeated, “There’s an ap for that!” Well, GPTs are the new aps. Everyday more and more are being developed.
Have an idea for one that hasn’t been created? It’s simple to do as AI will help you formalize your thoughts. Just log onto ChatGPT. Click “ExploreGPTs and on the upper right side, click the green +Create box. It defaults to Create which is the simple way; it’s like computer coding in English. If you are a techie than by all means select Configure. Under Create, give the AI your thoughts in the Message GPT Builder and press enter. It will ask you questions and you provide your thoughtful responses. Don’t like what it created? No worries, you can delete it. Want only family and friends to see it? Just select the link option when saving. You can then share the link with them. Or, you can have the link publicly visible to everyone or just yourself.
Want to find more GPTs that can be useful for you? Click “Explore GPTs” and in the “Search public GPTs” type what you’re looking for. It will save your favorites on the bar on the left so you can refer to them quickly anytime. I’m working on one now to help analyze U.S. federal census records quickly.
Please let me know if you see a problem with Genealogy At Heart or DeKalb County, Indiana Resources. Email me at genealogyatheart@gmail.com.
The DeKalb County Indiana Genealogy Society (DKIGS) regrets to have to reschedule the Ask A Genealogist event that was to be held on Saturday, January 13 from 9:30-11:30 am at Willennar Genealogy Center due to inclement weather.
If you are not a member of DCIGS and would like to receive information on when the event will be rescheduled, please email genealogyatheart@gmail.com and we’ll let you know.
The answer is a definite maybe! Here’s what I did with one of my brick walls and Chat GPT. This story revolves around a stolen identity of John A. Long who served in the Union during the Civil War. After his death someone in Marion, Indiana assumed his identity and received a pension. The scammer resided in the Home for Disabled Veterans there and is buried in their cemetery. Interestingly, the man’s tombstone is for a John A. Long that served in New York. But no man by that name served in the regiment written on the tombstone. I asked ChatGPT for some help in solving this dilemma and here was the results:
Cross-Reference Census Records: Look for any John A. Longs or John Longs in the state where the scammer lived, especially around the time the identity was assumed. See if any disappear from the records or have inconsistencies in their details.
Local Newspapers: Scour local newspapers from that era for any mentions of John A. Long, especially in the context of veterans or obituaries. Sometimes these articles can provide clues not found elsewhere.
Military Records: Since he was buried near a home for disabled vets, there might be admission records or logs that could contain discrepancies or additional information.
Check Neighboring States: Given that he switched the infantry unit to New York, it might be worth checking records from neighboring states as well.
Land and Property Records: If he lived in a home for disabled vets, there might be land or property records that could provide more information or even list next of kin.
DNA Testing: This is a long shot, but if there are any living descendants who are curious enough, a DNA test could potentially link them to the scammer’s real family.
Consult Other Experts: Sometimes two (or more) heads are better than one. Maybe consult with experts in Civil War history or forensic genealogy.
Legal Documents: Wills, marriage licenses, or other legal documents might have been altered or faked. These could contain mistakes that reveal his true identity.
Local Lore: Sometimes, stories get passed down that never make it into official records. Local historical societies or elderly residents might have stories or records that could provide clues.
All sound ideas but unfortunately, DNA wouldn’t be available as it looks like the man had no children. Supposedly had a wife in Michigan but no woman found with the name he provided on the intake form. Can’t find them in the 1880 US federal census either. I then mentioned there was a connection with the Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic in Michigan, California, and Indiana and asked AI for some out of the box ideas to find records. Here’s the response:
ChatGPT
Wow, Lori, you’ve really dug deep into this mystery! It’s like you’ve hit a genealogical brick wall made of steel. The Odd Fellows connection and the financial advisor being part of the Grand Army of the Republic are intriguing leads.
Given what you’ve already done, here are some more “out-of-the-box” ideas:
Fraternal Organizations: Since you suspect he was an Odd Fellow, have you tried reaching out to the current Odd Fellows organization? They might have historical archives that aren’t publicly available.
Medical Records: You mentioned he was admitted to a Disabled Vet Home and had dementia. While it’s a long shot, medical records might have additional information, like next of kin or previous addresses.
Railroad Employment Records: Many Civil War vets worked on the railroads. These records sometimes contain personal details and could be another avenue to explore.
Church Records: If he was religious, baptismal, marriage, or burial records from local churches might offer clues.
Military Buddies: The scammer had to get the details of John A. Long’s service from somewhere. Could he have known someone who served with the real John A. Long? Maybe look into the men who served in the same unit.
Pension Fraud Investigations: Given that he was scamming the pension system, were there any investigations into pension fraud at the time that might have records on him?
Check for Alias: Since he was so good at assuming identities, it’s possible he used more than one alias. Look for inconsistencies in other records that might indicate another assumed identity.
Foreign Records: It’s a stretch, but could he have immigrated from another country and assumed a new identity upon arrival? Immigration and naturalization records might be worth a look.
Consult a Criminal Historian: Someone specialized in the history of crime might have some unique perspectives or resources to offer.
Social Network Analysis: Map out the known associates like the financial advisor, and see if any patterns emerge that could lead to the scammer’s true identity.
All great ideas. If you’re stuck, try AI. Let me know if you solved your brick wall with their help.
It’s like you’ve hit a genealogical brick wall made of steel. The Odd Fellows connection and the financial advisor being part of the Grand Army of the Republic are intriguing leads.