Hi Reader,

It's been scorching hot here ☀️☀️☀️ this week, and I'm spending way more time indoors than usual. But you know what? All this extra indoor time has given me more time for my personal family history research, and I'm reminded once again why I love this work so much.

Over the last few years, I find myself captivated by the stories behind the names and dates. I'm not just about filling in the family tree anymore - I'm all about understanding who these people really were. How did they live? What challenges did they face? What decisions shaped their lives and, ultimately, ours?

There's something powerful about connecting with the human side of our family history, and it's what keeps me coming back to this research again and again.

Speaking of stories, this week's new video is the second part of a 2-part series on all about reading the deeper narrative that family cemeteries tell us.

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📽️NEW VIDEO!

THE HIDDEN CLUES YOU'RE PROBABLY MISSING IN THE FAMILY CEMETERY

Building on the research techniques from Part 1, this week's video reveals MORE often-overlooked details in the family cemetery. You'll learn how to spot the subtle clues that most genealogists walk right past and common mistakes to avoid!

• How family plot arrangements tell stories about relationships and conflicts
• The significance of symbols, flowers, and decorative elements you might dismiss
• How to skip making some very common mistakes that can slow your research down.

If you missed Part 1 on fundamental cemetery research techniques, watch that first to get the full foundation before jumping into these advanced strategies.

🎥 Watch here: How to Read Family Cemeteries: Clues Most Genealogists Miss (Part 2)​

🌟BACK TO GENEALOGY BASICS

BEAT THE HEAT WITH COOL RESEARCH WINS: VITAL RECORDS!

When it's too hot to venture out for cemetery visits, it's the perfect time to tackle vital records research from your air-conditioned office.

• ​5 Reasons You Are NOT Finding Your Ancestor’s Birth Record​
• ​How To Confidently Find Your Ancestor’s Marriage Records​
• ​4 Death Certificate Clues Everyone Misses (The Hidden Stories)​

💡GENEALOGY TIP

FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL

Tax records, property deeds, and probate files often survive when other records disappear. They place your ancestor in specific locations during exact years and reveal family relationships through inheritance patterns.

Start with probate records - they're easier to read than you think and often name multiple family members in one document.

🔧WHAT I'M CURRENTLY LOVING!

STAY COOL WHILE TRACKING HOT LEADS: CITY DIRECTORIES

While we're all seeking shade this summer, I've had the luxury of doing personal family history research. City directories have become my go-to tool this month. I've been tracking my husband's ancestors as they moved around the city year to year.

What makes city directories so valuable:

• Annual snapshots of where people lived and worked
• Fill gaps between census years - this is so crucial!
• Show when someone disappeared from an area - your first clue they moved elsewhere

You'll spot patterns in their moves, see when children left home, and can even catch that crucial year when they relocated to a new city.

Check out my blog post How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research to learn more about using them in your research.

Research tip: Always check the year before and after your target date. People move mid-year, and you might catch them in transition.

Until next week, keep following those family trails - even if it means staying indoors with the AC while you do it!

Happy Ancestor Hunting!

Lisa
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Lisa Lisson Genealogy Researcher, Author & Speaker