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, We're closing out October, and if you've been following along with the Family History Month series, you've spent the last few weeks discovering, preserving, and researching. Now comes the bigger question: What are you...
10 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, As we head into the final days of October's family history month, I'm reflecting on what we've accomplished together. You've rediscovered treasures hiding in plain sight. You've protected fragile photos and captured important stories. You've made progress on research questions that have been bugging you. And hopefully, you've started thinking about how to share these discoveries with the people who matter most. If you're just catching up this week: The simple sharing wins: Forward...
13 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Over the past three weeks, you've been taking a fresh look at your family history - finding things you'd forgotten you had, protecting what matters most, and maybe even solving a mystery or two. This final week is about sharing those discoveries with the people who care about them. This week's focus: Share and Connect Your family history discoveries aren't meant to live in isolation. The photos you've identified, the stories you've captured, the mysteries you've solved - they...
16 days ago • 1 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, We're heading into the final 10 weeks of 2025, and I've been thinking about research do-overs. You know that ancestor you've been stuck on for years? The one where you've searched every obvious record, tried every...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Mid-way through Week 3 of Family History Month, and I need to share some research truth with you. The reality: Some of you are probably making breakthrough discoveries. Others might be hitting the same walls you've hit before. Both experiences are completely normal in genealogy research. Here's what most genealogy advice won't tell you: Sometimes the "failure" to find records immediately reveals important information about your ancestor's life. No marriage record might mean they...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Weeks 1 and 2 were about working with what you already have. Week 3 is about strategically filling in one specific gap. This week's focus: Fill in the Missing Pieces After two weeks of discovery and preservation, you probably have a clearer picture of what you know and what you don't. Maybe there's a maiden name that's been eluding you. An ancestor who seems to disappear from records. A family story that doesn't quite add up. This week isn't about solving every mystery or starting...
24 days ago • 1 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, You know that moment when you're staring at a census record you've read a dozen times, and suddenly you notice something you've never seen before? Not new information - the same facts you've read repeatedly - but...
24 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Mid-way through Family History Month Week 2, and I need to address the preservation mistakes I'm seeing in my inbox. Good news first: People are moving photos out of hot attics and damp basements. That's huge. The concerning part: Several people are making preservation choices that could actually damage their family materials long-term. The biggest mistakes I'm seeing: Mistake #1: Using regular tape or glue on photos - I get it, you want to mount them safely, but regular adhesives...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Week 1 of Family History Month was about discovering what you already have on your ancestors. Week 2 is about making sure you don't lose it. (I need this reminder as much as you do!) Here's the uncomfortable truth: Every day you wait, you're losing family history. Photos are fading in those boxes. Documents are deteriorating in humid basements. And the relatives who hold your family's stories won't be here forever. This week isn't about perfect archival systems or expensive...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read