G-0LM5LRNCVT

Another Genealogy Resolution

January 9, 2026

Last week I talked about visiting and interviewing older family members. This week I want to suggest another possible genealogy resolution.

 

This resolution concerns your files. New genealogists assume that most of their work will be done online. Any files they accumulate will be digital. However, as anyone who has been working on their family tree for a while knows, paper files accumulate whether you want them to or not. Copies of old records may only be available on paper. For example, I have ordered birth and death certificates and divorce files from various archives and courthouses. Many of these archives would only make paper copies.

 

If you have paper copies of records, make it a priority this year to digitize them. Digging through piles of files to find a specific birth certificate that you know you ordered years ago can be daunting. Even worse is to find that you just spent an unnecessary $50 to order records you already had. If you think it won’t happen to you, think again. I tucked several birth certificates in an envelope several years ago. At the time I was busy with other things and thought I’d organize and properly file them later. It was only after I’d spent most of a day at an archive copying the same records that I discovered my earlier copies – still waiting in that envelope for me to get back to them.

 

Out of sight out of mind is particularly true if your older files are in cabinets or binders. A lot of the documents in those old files may be records such as censuses. Years ago, copies of censuses were difficult to obtain. Finding someone on a census was a major feat. Once we’d succeeded in finding a record for great grandpa, we were thrilled to make a copy – usually on 11” x 17” paper. If you have those unwieldy copies still neatly filed away, now is the time to part with them. Censuses are readily available online on almost every genealogy website. If you want a copy, make a digital one. It will be easier to access and easier to read than your paper copies.

 

I admit that I have a sentimental attachment to those old paper copies that I worked so hard to get. However, I also know that I rarely refer to any of the paper copies. It’s just too cumbersome to dig through all that paper. Do yourself a favor and digitize anything that is still pertinent.

 

Once that is done, I suggest keeping any original documents and photos you may have. The rest of the paper should probably go in the recycling bin. Your file cabinets will be less stuffed, and you might be able to find something when you need it.

 

Once you’ve digitized your old paper copies, make an additional resolution to digitize any new copies when they arrive. Then either recycle the paper copy or, if it’s unique or original, file it in your slimmed down paper files.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

 

 

 

 

A Genealogy Resolution

January 2, 2026

It’s January – the month that many people make New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve never been particularly inclined to make resolutions, but I’ve sometimes made genealogy resolutions. Some of them have helped me progress on my genealogical journey. Maybe they’ll help you too.

 

My first genealogy resolution is to talk to your older relatives. If you’re lucky enough to have grandparents, great aunts and uncles or older cousins, now is the time to get in touch with them. They have great stories to tell you, and they won’t be around forever.

 

If possible, visit your relatives in person. Older people often don’t get a lot of visitors, so come in person and bring a little treat that you know they like. Be ready to talk about whatever the relative wants to talk about. Gently lead the conversation to stories about the past. If you have old photos, bring them to help stir memories. Ask questions, but don’t be too demanding. Older people often tire quickly, so keep your visit short.

 

You probably won’t get exact dates from these conversations, so be prepared to verify what you learn through other sources such as newspaper articles, birth and death certificates. For example, my mother often told a story about her house being hit by lightning when she was young. When I asked when it happened, she could only say “when I was a kid.” Since Mom was born in 1925, I figured it must have happened sometime between about 1930 and 1940. Using that information, I turned to the local newspaper. Since they’re on Newspapers.com, it was easy to search for “lightning hits house.” I soon located an article describing the lightning strike and the damage it caused to my family’s home. The house was severely damaged, but no one was injured. No wonder my mother made us hide in the basement whenever a thunderstorm occurred.

 

If you can’t go in person, telephone calls are okay, but some older folks have hearing issues and don’t enjoy talking on the phone. Make sure they know who they’re talking to when you call and understand exactly how you fit into the family. Older folks are warned to suspect scams and may be hesitant to talk to you if they don’t recognize who you are.

 

I sometimes see genealogy questionnaires that are recommended for older relatives. As someone who is getting up there myself, I think sending someone you seldom or never see a detailed list of questions to fill in feels somewhat invasive. The questions often feel stilted and are difficult to answer. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by them.

 

Unless you’re sure the person you’re contacting enjoys filling out paperwork, I’d steer clear of the questionnaires. If you must use the questionnaires, use the questions to guide your conversation with your relative.

 

Even if your relatives don’t give you any specific genealogy information, their stories are worth remembering.  Maybe you’ll learn about a divinity recipe that your great grandmother made every Christmas or learn that your great grandfather loved to eat stale Campfire marshmallows for dessert. You’ll remember that these relatives were real people – not just names on a genealogy chart. In addition, you may make an older person’s day, and that’s worth the effort of visiting or calling.

 

Happy visiting with your family this year.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

 

 

Tracing Immigrant Ancestors in the USA

December 19, 2025

If you’ve tried to trace an immigrant ancestor after he arrived in the US, you know it’s not always easy. This is especially true of those immigrants who arrived during the heavy immigration period between the Civil War and World War I.

 

Finding the port of entrance is a good start, but relatively few immigrants stayed in the area they arrived. Commonly, recent immigrants moved around for a few years after arrival. If you’re lucky, you may find that your immigrant travelled directly to somewhere in the United States to join family or friends. For other immigrants, those first few years in the United States are a blank spot in their story.

 

There are records that can help fill in this blank, but it’s usually helpful to check all family sources first. For example, my great grandfather arrived in New York in 1867. He first joined his older brother in Scranton, Pennsylvania where the brother was working on a farm. The brothers weren’t excited about being farm laborers, so they soon moved to Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania where there were opportunities to work for the railroad and at steel mills. I learned about this period only because my great grandfather wrote an autobiographical sketch which detailed his early years in the US.

 

I verified his memories by finding my great grandfather and his family in the 1870 census. By then my grandfather’s parents and siblings had arrived in America. All were listed in Tunkhannock. Although my grandfather’s family stayed in Tunkhannock for nearly four years, the census was one of the few records that mentioned them in the area.

 

The only other record I found of my family’s stay was in school records. My grandfather’s three younger siblings attended the public school in Tunkhannock. All three were good students and appeared on several school honor rolls. The honor rolls were published in the local newspapers, the Wyoming Democrat and the Tunkhannock Republican. I found the newspapers on Newspapers.com.

 

Naturalization records can also help document an ancestor’s stay in an area. Before 1906, naturalization records could be filed in any court. These records can help locate where an ancestor was at a certain time. However, since the records were filed in any court, it may be difficult to find them if you don’t already know an ancestor was in a specific area.

 

Directories are another possible way to locate elusive ancestors. A wide search of online directories may turn up an ancestor in a heretofore unknown location.

 

Tracing immigrant ancestors is easier if the ancestor has an unusual name. My Fernelius ancestors are much easier to track than my Johnson ones. Almost anyone with the name Fernelius is likely to be a relative, and there are never very many of them in any database. For the Johnsons, however, broad searches are useless. There are just too many hits.

 

Figuring out where an ancestor was before he settled down in Minnesota or Washington or South Dakota can be a challenge. It’s worth spending some time trying since knowing how an ancestor spent his or her first years in America can add to the story of his/her life.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society