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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Let's talk about genealogy mistakes (I made a big one)
Published about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share actionable genealogy research advice to help you grow a healthy - and accurate - family tree. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue.
Hi Reader,
I revisited a brick wall ancestor last week and made a discovery. Unfortunately, I discovered a mistake that essentially has stalled my research for a very long time.
Ugh.... I failed to pursue an ancestor's vital records. The painful part? This wasn't some obscure record - it was a basic death record that should have been one of my first stops.
This experience was a stark reminder that sometimes our biggest research breakthroughs come from going back to basics. I'm sharing this story (and how to avoid my mistake) in this week's blog post about common genealogy mistakes. Trust me, if I can overlook a death record after years of research, it can happen to anyone!
While I'm busy double-checking basic records for all my brick wall ancestors, I've also been preparing for RootsTech 2025. I've put together a comprehensive guide to help you make the most of the conference, whether you're attending in person or virtually. More on that below, along with a 15-minute research challenge that might just help you avoid my recent mistake!
🌟NEW BLOG POST & VIDEO!
🎯 ARE YOU READY FOR ROOTSTECH 2025
Are you ready for genealogy's biggest event of the year? RootsTech 2025 is just around the corner, and I've created two resources to help you make the most of your conference experience - whether you're attending in person or virtually!
In my latest video "How to Get the Most Out of RootsTech 2025," I share my strategies for:
Planning your schedule to catch the most valuable sessions
Making meaningful connections with other genealogists
Ever have that moment when you realize you've completely overlooked something obvious? I recently stalled my research... because I forgot to check for a basic record! 😳
This was a humbling reminder that even experienced genealogists can make fundamental mistakes. In my blog post "Avoid Common Mistakes in Your Genealogy Research," I break down the most common pitfalls that can derail your family history research, including:
Why making assumptions about your ancestors can lead you down the wrong path
How rushing through exciting discoveries might cause you to miss crucial clues
The importance of regularly rechecking databases for updates
When (and why) you should review your previous research
Plus, I share my personal story of how that single overlooked record recently created my own brick wall - and how you can avoid making the same mistake!
The best part about making mistakes? We can learn from them and become better researchers in the process. Click through to read about these common genealogy mistakes and make sure they're not holding you back from breaking through your brick walls.
💡GENEALOGY TIP
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHECKLIST!
My recent research mistake reminded me why I always now use both research plans and checklists when I research my ancestors. A simple checklist makes sure I do not overlook an important record if (okay, when!) I get distracted in my research.
When starting a research project into an ancestor - or when picking that project back up after a break, take 5 minutes to check if you can tick these basics off your list:
Census records - every available year
Birth/baptism records or substitutes
Marriage records (don't forget to check neighboring counties!)
Death/burial records
Locations of other family members during the same time period
Think of it like a pre-flight checklist - even experienced pilots use them every time because they know it prevents basic oversights. The same principle applies to genealogy research!
Want to learn my system for organizing your genealogy research and preventing common mistakes like the one I just made?
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.
Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share actionable genealogy research advice to help you grow a healthy - and accurate - family tree. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, It's spring!🌷In my part of the world, that means the temps are warming up, flowers are starting to bloom, and the yellow pine pollen is covering everything. I can literally see it in the air. While I know many of you may be reaching for the tissues and...
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