G-0LM5LRNCVT

Saving and Organizing Your Genealogy

May 1, 2026

Recently several new genealogists asked me the best way to organize and save their genealogy. The answer is simple: It depends. Putting that into practice isn’t so simple. Your genealogy goals will determine why, how and where you store your genealogy information.

 

Most of us start our genealogy journey by jotting down notes on scraps of paper. Eventually, we transfer the information onto paper forms such as family group sheets. For someone who is working on a limited tree, these paper records may suffice. For most of us paper and pencil are limited. Any time we make a mistake or enter someone in the wrong place, it means re-writing a complete tree. Also, as our family grows, our paper trees may begin to cover multiple sheets of paper. Finding someone can be difficult.

 

For many, the next step is a genealogy software program. These are paid (or sometimes free) programs that are downloaded to a personal computer. Some of the popular ones include Reunion, Family Tree Maker and Roots Magic.

 

Software programs make it easy to input information, make corrections and store documents and photos. The information is saved to your own computer, although some of the programs, such as Family Tree Maker, can be synced to online genealogy websites such as Ancestry.com.

 

A big advantage to personal computer software is privacy. If you choose not to sync to the internet, the information you add to a program is completely private. You do not need to worry about making an error on your tree that will be copied by anyone else. In addition, it allows you to include sensitive family information that you may not want others to see.

 

Another popular way to save your family tree is on one of the genealogy websites. Sites such as Ancestry, My Heritage and Family Search allow you to make a family tree. Many people like these trees since they are free (although searching websites for additional information may require a paid subscription).

 

A benefit of putting your tree on a large website is that many people will potentially see it. This may lead to connections with distant cousins who can help add to your tree. You can also search other people’s trees for clues to help advance your research.

 

The disadvantage of these websites is that you have no control over the information you post on them. The company may go bankrupt or may decide to charge for access to the trees posted. Most of the sites will allow you to delete a tree if you decide you no longer want it on the site. However, there are no guarantees that this will always be the case.

 

There are pros and cons to all genealogy storage methods. Whichever method or combination of methods you use will depend on your personal genealogy goals.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

 

 

Special Collections: An Underutilized Resource

April 24, 2026

Many libraries have special collections. These are non-circulating, rare or unique items such as manuscripts, photographs and books which are usually linked by topic or theme. Many special collections will be found as part of college or university libraries.

 

Special collections can hold a wealth of information useful to genealogists. Unfortunately, these collections are often underutilized. Genealogists assume that if their ancestors didn’t attend a specific university or were not well-known in an area, there will be nothing of interest to them in the collections.

 

University special collections do tend to focus on items that pertain to the history of the university. Personal papers of well-known alumni are also often found in a university’s special collections.

 

However, there is a lot more to be found in these collections. Some universities are affiliated with a specific religious denomination. For example, Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania holds an extensive collection of Quaker records as part of their special collections.

 

Items such as photographs are also often found in special collections. A friend whose family was from a small town in northern Utah found that the negatives from the only photographer in town had been donated to the University of Utah. She was surprised to find dozens of pictures of her family, most of which she’d never seen, among them.

 

One of my father’s cousins was a professor at the University of Utah. He donated his papers to the university. Most of the papers dealt with his professional career in engineering, but I also found some files listed as “personal papers.” Among them were programs and other papers from family reunions. These included memoirs written by my great-grandparents’ grandchildren.

 

These memoirs described my great grandmother’s favorite flowers and the special Swedish meals she loved to cook for her grandchildren. This great grandmother died before my own father, her grandson, was born, so few memories of her life were passed down. These personal papers from a cousin I never knew gave me insight into my great grandmother I’d never have found elsewhere.

 

Special collections usually have informative websites. Checking these websites for names and topics of interest is not difficult. You may even find that some libraries have digitized parts of their holdings.

 

Special collections might take a little extra effort to access if the information you need is not digitized. Since the collections don’t circulate, you will need to visit in person. Most require an appointment to visit.

 

Special collections are worth exploring. You may find genealogical information that you never even knew existed.

 

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

 

 

A Trip to a County Courthouse

April 17, 2026

Genealogy research is easier than it used to be. Nowadays, it’s often possible to find published sources and even copies of original records online. I suspect that many new genealogists assume that everything they need to complete a genealogy project can be found online.

 

While it’s true that there are amazing amounts of information available online, genealogists should remember that there is even more information in other, offline repositories. These sources can include museums, libraries and archives, but my favorite is the county courthouse.

 

In the United States, many of the records that genealogists rely on are kept at the county level. These records can include all sorts of public records such as birth/death certificates, marriage licenses, property deeds, tax records, probate records and court records.

 

In some places older records may have been transferred to the state archives. Some of the older records may also have been microfilmed or digitized. Family Search has digitized many courthouse records in the United States. Their goal was to preserve them and make them easily accessible for genealogical purposes. It’s always worthwhile to check websites such as Family Search and Ancestry to see what records are available.

 

However, not all courthouse records have been microfilmed or digitized. Some are still available only in their original paper format. At some point, a trip to a county courthouse will be necessary. I have found most courthouses welcoming, but I suggest checking whether in-person research is allowed before your visit. Some courthouses will not allow direct access to their records.

 

County courthouses are one of my favorite research venues. Seeing the records in their original repository can be meaningful. Many of the courthouses may even be the original buildings that our ancestors visited when they needed to file deeds or other records.

 

Years ago, my husband and I visited a courthouse in a small county seat on the eastern plains of Colorado. We were looking for property records for a great grand uncle. In those days, I hadn’t learned to check in advance, so we were surprised to find the courthouse mostly deserted at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Many of the offices seemed closed.

 

Luckily, the county recorder’s office was open. I asked the clerk about the deed books I needed. She responded that she was the only person in the office because the county fair began the next day. Everyone else was at the fairgrounds setting up for the fair.

 

She was happy for us to look at the books, but they were in a large walk-in safe in the courthouse basement. She opened the safe but explained she couldn’t stay since someone needed to be in the recorder’s office.

 

It was a little gloomy and chilly in that giant safe, but the grantee and grantor books were easy to figure out, so I got to work. I did ask my husband to stay outside the safe and make sure no one accidentally locked me inside. Spending a long weekend in that safe didn’t sound like fun.

 

I located the deeds I needed as quickly as I could and made copies. When we returned upstairs to tell the clerk we were finished, she invited us to the fairgrounds that evening to ride on the county’s prized antique carousel. She even presented us with free tickets.

 

Since we were staying in town overnight, we went. Everyone was very welcoming. The owner of the local title company invited us to his office the next day so we could use his maps to locate my ancestor’s land. Thanks to his help, we visited the property where my ancestor lived.

 

That courthouse visit is still one of my best genealogy memories. I found my ancestor’s records and rode a carousel. Nothing on the internet could have equaled that.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society