Best Tips for Beginning Genealogy: Family History Tips from the Professional Genealogist (2023)

Learn the top tips from the professional genealogist for beginning family history and genealogy. While at RootsTech 2023, I ran around to many of the professionals and asked them what was their number one tip for beginning your genealogy. Surprisingly, all of them had different answers and are the best genealogy tips for family historians at any level
Professionals featured in this episode are: Aimee Cross, Diahan Southard, Amy Johnson Crow, Jarrett Ross, Lisa Lisson, Cheri Hudson Passey, Scott Fisher and Sunny Morton. Special thanks to Joyce for her kind testimonial.
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TIMING
0:00 Intro
0:01 What are the top tips from experts at RootsTech 2023?
0:07 Interview your relatives - Lisa Lisson
0:26 Write down your sources - Aimee Cross
1:12 Look at the details especially in records - Jarrett Ross
2:01 Take it slow; be methodical - Amy Johnson Crow
2:50 Get your education so you know what you’re doing. - Cherri Hudson Passey
3:37 Interview living people first - Scott Fisher
3:49 DNA test older generation first - Diahan Southard
4:06 Have fun! - Sunny Morton
4:41 Use Research notes - GTV subscriber, Joyce
5:51 Takeaways
I am a professional genealogist who loves to teach with video. It's all about genealogy, family history, and DNA to research. I strive to create the best free genealogy videos and webinars on KZbin. I teach genealogy research skills to help you with your family tree and records research. The best genealogy tutorial videos on “Genealogy TV” are about how to keep research notes, staying organized, understanding genetic genealogy, find missing ancestors, where to find family history records, organizing DNA matches, and more. Here you can learn genealogy for free. Learn how to research on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, FindMyPast.com, FamilyTreeDNA, AncestryDNA, 23andMe, WikiTree, Geni, National and State Archives, genealogical & historical societies, genealogybank.com, Chronicling America, Newspapers.com, Newspaper Archives.com, Fold3, Archive.org, Internet Archive, Wayback Machine, Digital Public Libraries, Google for genealogy, Facebook genealogy groups, and the very best genealogy websites and resources.
Best KZbinrs for genealogy are Connie Knox on Genealogy TV, Ancestry's own Crista Cowan (The Barefoot Genealogist), The History Guy, Aimee Cross Genealogy Hints, Family History Fanatics, Geneavlogger, Legacy Tree Genealogy, , Ancestry, FamilySearch, Useful Charts, Genealogy with Amy Johnson Crow, and 23andMe.
#Genealogy #GenealogyTV #FamilyHistory
Music Credits for Song on Word Tree Open
Circus Waltz Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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[@GenealogyTV]

Join the Genealogy TV Academy. Learn More Here. genealogytv.org/about-genealogy-tv-academy/

[@suzannemcclendon]

I'm not a professional by any stretch, but my #1 tip would be to listen to, and record in some fashion, the stories that your grandparents/parents are trying to share with you. Some day you will wish that you had listened more closely. That some day comes much sooner than you can imagine.

[@GenealogyTV]

So true.

[@KimberlyGreen]

My tip: Be at peace when you find an uncomfortable truth about an ancestor. They aren't you; you aren't responsible for their actions. Face it, accept it and acknowledge it without guilt. For example, like many, I've got enslavers in my family tree, including one who murdered an enslaved man by whipping him. His actions were reprehensible. But they are his actions, not mine. Acknowledging those could ultimately help someone else locate their ancestors through the research I did.

[@GenealogyTV]

YES. Agreed.

[@johnbethea4505]

It is impossible to interview the older people when they are dead. My grandmother had children with a different man it seems. One of my living double first cousin and I were by the same man. He must have no other children. My Y-DNA test showed the line that we came from. But, we ran into a maybe grandfather??? I am 76 and she is 80..

[@robertleer4111]

Organize, organize, organize. Don't forget to look SIDEWAYS! Your ancestor's siblings can get you around brick walls. Expect name changes and spelling errors. Search 3 to 5 years on either side of a date you think is correct. Back up your records with copies. Be patient and have fun.

[@GenealogyTV]

Love that. Great advice.

[@janicebond5492]

I too wish education was the number one thing for new users. It would be nice if someone had a reasonable list of where to go for beginners - like a list of KZbin channels, suggest joining a genealogy society, Facebook Groups, watch the "how to" video's on the big four web sites - in other words, an underwhelming start list. Maybe that already exists - if so, please share. Love this video Connie!!

[@GenealogyTV]

I totally agree! That's why I created a playlist for beginning genealogy kzbin.info/aero/PLiMXWjHlj5RR12Cc859K76dLKP14t8sAo

[@Ember3221]

Stay organized so you don’t lose your records and time spent

[@sherryledbetter1856]

YES!!!

[@Virginiafamilies]

#1 tip for beginner...don't make the same mistake I did and assume that whoever shows up from the hints on Ancestry or the presumed line that FamilySearch gives you is correct. It is very very very tempting to celebrate at first glance, but you have to learn the difference between primary sources and some random person uploading some random online document.

[@GenealogyTV]

Amen!

[@sandragaalhayman4430]

My walls are so big it is so overwhelming when your dealing with the most common surname on the planet.. just feel like I’m constantly treading water and chasing my tail.. thank you for these wonderful tips

[@GenealogyTV]

Use family groups to help decipher one person with the same name as another. Although, I'm sure you already know this.

[@conniemurdoch8528]

This is funny - my name is Constance - Connie. My sister is Joyce!

[@GenealogyTV]

Yay!

[@desertpatient]

Thanks bunches

[@minikitz5642]

All are really great tips, but "Education" is key in my book, because that opens the door to learn all those other tips. What a fun video, too. "Ambush genealogy"- LOL! (Made me laugh.) Debbie from Phoenix.

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes... I ambushed all of them. None of them knew what I was going to ask. :)

[@sheppeyescapee]

Organise your files as you go along. If you are downloading files, rename them to something more recognisable rather than the random names the sites give. I'm guilty of not doing this and have several hard drives worth of files that I now need to sort through, rename and organise into some kind of system that makes sense.

[@kathysteckelberg1968]

All great tips. So often, I think of questions I wish I’d asked my grandparents and my mother about their families. I can’t now because they are gone, and that’s an opportunity you can never get back. I also would emphasize the education tip, especially since we have so many opportunities now to improve our skill sets. Watch KZbin channels such as this one, listen to podcasts, watch webinars, attend conferences. Genealogy is a life-long learning experience.

[@GenealogyTV]

Love that! And Yes... Watch KZbin, LOL.

[@annparisien8722]

Connie, I don’t know if you’ve done a video on this yet but perhaps some guidance on where to start when you’re mum hands you several thick binders of genealogy she has worked on in the past. It’s a lot overwhelming.

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes... How to Organize Your Family History Research (Genealogy Challenge) kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqXFlqKvqKeBoJY

[@jpetemadre2724]

Thank you, Connie. Such a useful video. 😊

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@clivetunley1608]

Why do the Americans say Geneology when the spelling and pronunciation is GeneAlogy?

[@GenealogyTV]

Most everyone I know pronounces it the same way I do.

[@kristinenorth9983]

What's the best way to enter your relatives names when building a profile. My relatives are from Hungary and the way we spell Joseph here is spelled József there etc. Thanks!

[@GenealogyTV]

Spell as it was at birth. Use another name fact for common variations that you find in records. Great question.

[@barbarahawkins7930]

Connie, QUESTIONS: If I cannot find a marriage between our William Blalock and Katherine ( could be spelled Catherine because her last daughter was named Mary Catherine) so that's my clue. Wow, what ought I do next then? If William and Catherine/ Katherine married in TN 1810-1814 there are no records I could find. If it's KY don't seem to find records in that time frame either. What to do now Connie ? Thank you.

[@GenealogyTV]

Barbara, always check all variations of spelling (even tho the system should look for that). Look in the place where the record originated. So if you had boarder changes, look in the original county/state/location. If you don't find it there, go to the state archives. Often older records are moved there (in the U.S.).

[@Sunjoy1]

Have you done any info about Geneanet? Wondered if it's worth getting into .. thanks

[@GenealogyTV]

I look in all resources. You never know what clues you might find. As with any site, verify with records.

[@JJCoop231]

In your opinion…where or what is the best organization to use to become a certified genealogist?

[@GenealogyTV]

There are two components to this, eduction, and then certification or accreditation. There are several educational outlets but very few that take you down an exact path to become a professional. It's not like becoming a doctor or a lawyer were there are required set of classes to take. Instead, you have to prove your skills as a genealogist in the area you specialize in. See the Board for Certification of Genealogist (BCG) bcgcertification.org/ and or the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGEN) www.icapgen.org/

[@charlavaught2681]

Help! I found my husband’s parent’s marriage certificate. However, the person who filled out the certificate made the middle initial very fancy and the computer has misread it as a different letter. I want to accept the marriage certificate into my tree, but I don’t know how to correct how the computer has a wrong middle initial for my father-in-law.

[@GenealogyTV]

If it is on Ancestry, if there is an index at the bottom you might be able to double click the name and submit a correction. You can still accept it into your tree. You can edit the name field to be what you know to be correct.

[@charlavaught2681]

@@GenealogyTV thank you so much!!

[@conniemurdoch8528]

Do you have any suggestions to make it easier to give a “spit sample” for DNA (ancestry) . I want to send a kit to my 98 year old aunt - but I’m not sure she would be able to follow the directions. I had a great deal of trouble getting enough spit to do mine.

[@GenealogyTV]

Not for Ancestry. It is a Split only test. Check with MyHeritage, I think they are a cheek swab.

[@barbarahawkins7930]

Thank you Connie for your expert advice I appreciate you taking the time to get back with me. Means a lot !!!

[@GenealogyTV]

You are so welcome!

[@hemichallenger3643]

I am forever indebted to you for convincing me to have both my parents tested. My mom had done it but never got results because she didn't do it correctly. Regardless, I got it done and it opened soooo many discoveries. Interviewing has been awesome for me. My dad has sooo many stories. Also, talking with my dad, a small nugget he failed to mention was his dad worked in Oak Ridge as a pipe-fitter and did the plumbing or what not for the atomic facilities. Pretty cool.

[@hemichallenger3643]

Secondarily, I appreciate all of your videos that help me. Especially where you reiterate not blindly accepting other peoples trees as gospel. I have found soooo many mistakes over the last couple years. I have even gone thru my immediate family again to make sure everything is perfect.

[@GenealogyTV]

Thanks Hemi!

[@barbarahawkins7930]

Connie, I just had a real Ureka find yesterday ! After 14 years, I finally found out who my 4th great grandma's first name was....Katherine ! She was mentioned on a DEED as William Blalock and wife Katherine sold property to a Thomas Horton in Warren County, KY 1822. I called the main Government Hub for Libraries and Archives the ENTIRE STATE of KY The GOV Office I called is in FRANKFORT, KY A gal there looked up my 4th great grandparent Wiiliam Blalock who lived in Warren County, KY for 10years. Up to yesterday, my 4th great grandma was only known as MRS BLALOCK Now at least, I have grandma's FIRST NAME. So, if anyone needs to look up up DEEDS in KY quickly that's where to call !!!! Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, KY !!!

[@GenealogyTV]

YAY! Now go see if you can find a marriage record for them.