Family Tree Firsts - Page 6 of 13 - FamilyTreeUniversity.com

Family Tree Firsts is a genealogy blog following the adventures of Brian Parotto of Hampshire, Ill., a budding genealogist, as he works his way through the Family Tree University curriculum and reports on his family history research.

What Happened to the Boy Who Shot His Brother

After I discovered why my husband’s second-great-grandfather changed his name, his incredible story poured off the pages of his pension record. Harry Coad (aka Henry Thompson) led a full and interesting life prior to, during, and after the Civil War. Reading his pension file drove home the knowledge that these files can truly contain a goldmine of information for the family and historians. This file was unique, as he had to prove to the United States government who he was more than other people did. … Learn More →

Time-Travel with Dad

Have you checked out the 1940 US census yet? Waiting for the rush to subside, or the index to be completed? I thought I would do that too…then I found out Indiana was up and available on Ancestry.com by 1 p.m., day one. This news made me rush to my computer and start looking. Luckily for me, I knew the cities and townships in Indiana where my family lived. Plus, they were living in small communities that had few enumeration districts. In my dad’s home … Learn More →

A Pension File Reveals a Family Tragedy

I spoke briefly, in a previous post, about the mystery my husband’s family has carried around for nearly one hundred years. Who was Harry G. Coad? From the first time I heard the story it intrigued me, and of course as soon as I began researching our family histories, I just had to find out all I could about this man. My husband has nicknamed me, “The Destroyer of Family Myths,” as it seems I have been crashing down all of his old family legends … Learn More →

One Hour of Hoosier Heaven

You know that I hail from Indiana by now, which means I signed up for the Indiana Genealogy Crash Course webinar as soon as I saw the announcement from Family Tree University. My boys even cooperated by going to bed 15 minutes early that night so I could get my paper and pens ready, sit down with a cup of tea, and plug my headphones in. It was well worth all the anticipation. It did go very fast, and there was a lot of information … Learn More →

Mrs. Bennett Goes to Washington (And Squeals in the Middle of the National Archives)

I squealed in the research room of the National Archives. Yes, squealed. Stood up, bounced on my toes, waved my hands, and went, “Eeepppp!” Nobody turned around, stared, or said a thing to me. I guess this must be a regular occurrence. Before I get to the reason I yelped, I should let you know a little about how I got there. Through careful planning, and in conjunction with my mother-in-law’s visit, I was able to spend two days at the National Archives in Washington, … Learn More →

Were These Immigrant Ancestors Beamed Down?

Most Americans have at least some immigrants in their family tree. They took ships, trains, airplanes, and even walked into this country. That is, unless you are from my family, where I would swear they sprung fully formed in place like Athena from Zeus’s head. Tracking down those pesky immigrant ancestors has given me headaches, backaches, and eye strain. It has left me muttering to myself, the results of which were concerned looks from my boys and amused grins from my husband. In an attempt … Learn More →

A Family Story Delivers a Knockout Punch

I never really knew my dad’s dad; he died just a few months after I turned two years old. There are a few recollections in my head of him; more impressions of him in my head than memories. However, I have pictures and stories. Boy, do I have stories. Growing up, there were several stories my grandmother would tell over and over again. The more outrageous or “wrong” a story was, the more likely she was to tell it, repeatedly. One of those stories was … Learn More →

Genealogy Studies Lead to Research Breakthroughs

January was a busy month for classes and webinars. Not only did I take the course on the Civil War, but also Reverse Genealogy: Working Forward to Break Down Brick Walls taught by the Google Goddess, Lisa Louise Cooke. In addition, I also participated in the Kentucky Genealogy Crash Course: Find Your Bluegrass State Ancestors webinar lead by J. Mark Lowe. Both were excellent and gave me more than enough places to look, things to think about, and research to do. The Kentucky webinar is … Learn More →

Jump-Starting My Civil War Research

Recently I completed the class “Civil War Research: Find Your Ancestors in the War Between the States” through Family Tree University. Now, I have always thought that I knew quite a bit about the War of the Rebellion (or heck, pick a term) thanks to my AP US History teacher in high school. Imagine my surprise with all the things that I didn’t know! My oldest child is a military history nut, and for the past several weeks whenever he would hear me muttering to … Learn More →

Did I Marry a Relative of Buffalo Bill Cody?

There is a mystery in my husband’s family, and I am on a quest to solve it. My husband’s paternal grandmother told a story about how they were related to Buffalo Bill Cody through marriage. There was also another story about an ancestor who changed his name during the Civil War with the thought it was possibly Coad to Cody. The soldier’s parents were supposed to be from the South, living in a northern state, his parents were southern sympathizers, and their son was not. … Learn More →