February 13, 2026 New genealogists often ask which online family tree is best. The answer, like so many genealogy answers, is “it depends.” There are pros and cons to all the online family trees, but many genealogists agree that two of the best are Family Search’s Family Tree and Ancestry’s Public and Private Family Trees. …
Membership Season for Local Genealogical Societies
February 6, 2026 Membership in most local genealogical societies runs from January to December. Membership renewals tend to be due during January. Most, however, give a grace month when you can still renew. That means now is a good time to renew your membership in one or more local genealogical societies. If you don’t …
Using Local Columns in Newspapers
January 30, 2026 Last week I wrote about ways to find info in newspapers about ancestors who lived in areas without their own papers. It’s worth repeating that nearby newspapers may contain articles about folks from surrounding smaller towns and rural areas. One of the best ways to search those newspapers is to look …