Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
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Are you missing your ancestors in school records?
Published about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue.
Hi Reader,
I was in Target the other day and couldn't resist browsing the back-to-school section! Even without children at home, I still love to browse the pencils, pens and my favorite - sticky notes! (Anyone else love the back-to-school sections?!)
Plus, it's a great time of year to pick up supplies for my office on sale.
Speaking of school, this week I'm thinking about all the education records hiding in our family history research—and how most of us are barely scratching the surface of what's available.
🔨 LISA'S PICKS
Back-To-School Research Tools
Featured Resource: Ancestry's School Record Collections Don't overlook Ancestry's yearbook databases, school directories, and graduation records scattered throughout their various collections. These often contain photos, class lists, activities, and family details that bring your ancestor's school years to life. Search by school name or browse their yearbook collections by state. Access with Ancestry membership.
Local Newspaper Gold: Newspapers.comSchool events, graduation announcements, and honor roll lists appear regularly in local papers. Search "[School name] commencement" for graduation details you won't find anywhere else.
Organization Tool: Family Tree Maker As your education research expands, you'll need better organization for source citations and timeline tracking. FTM is my go-to offline family tree software for handling complex source documentation and research notes.
🎬 NEW VIDEO & BLOG POST
School Records: The Family History Resource You're Ignoring
Most genealogists stop at finding a name in a census education column, but school records can unlock entire family stories. This week's content dives into the goldmine of information hiding in education collections.
I'll show you exactly where to find these records and what information they contain beyond just attendance.
September Preview: Save Your Photos Month is coming! I'll be sharing photo preservation strategies and partnering with scanning services for special promotions. Stay tuned!
Community Question: What's the most interesting thing you've learned from a school record? Hit reply and tell me—I love hearing about your discoveries!
Fall Speaking: I'll be presenting at several genealogy events this fall, mostly virtual with great Q&A opportunities. Follow along on my social media channels - Instagram and Facebook - for updates and behind-the-scenes content!
💡 QUICK WIN OF THE WEEK
THE 5-Minute School Search
Before you dive deep into research, try this simple check:
Search for yearbooks online using "[School Name] yearbook [year]" - Sites like Classmates.com, Internet Archive, and even eBay often have digitized yearbooks with photos and class lists
Check your ancestor's local library website - many have digitized school records, yearbooks, and graduation programs in their local history collections
Search Newspapers.com for "[School Name] graduation" or "school news" in their town
Even if you don't find your specific ancestor, you'll discover what schools existed, when they opened/closed, and what grade levels were available. That context matters more than you think.
🔍 GENEALOGY TIP
Why Your Ancestor's Grade Matters
When you see "Grade 8" in a census record, that's not just educational data—it's economic intelligence.
In 1920: An 8th-grade education was considered quite good, especially for rural families For girls: Higher education often meant the family could afford to keep daughters home longer For boys: School vs. work decisions reveal family financial pressures
That simple grade notation can tell you whether your ancestor's family was struggling, stable, or prosperous relative to their community.
🤝 Work With Me
For Intensive Research Help: My VIP Genealogy Research Day offers intensive, personalized help with your most challenging brick walls. We work together for a full day to develop strategies and breakthrough plans.
For Photo Mysteries: Struggling to identify people in old family photos? My "Crack Your Family Photo Code" webinar teaches you systematic strategies for identifying unknown faces and dating mysterious images. Learn more here.
School records often reveal family stories that census data can't tell—from the ambitious parents who kept kids in school longer to the economic pressures that sent them to work early. Don't let another school year pass without checking what education records might be waiting to unlock your family's story.
Actionable genealogy advice that you'll want to save in a special Gmail folder to grow your healthy family tree, sent weekly to 10,000+ readers.
Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.
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Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, I was working with a couple of my older photographs recently. I had not seen these photos in a quite a while and realized just how much they were fading. It hit me that I was about to lose primary source documents, not...
