November 3, 2023
Over the years I’ve asked roughly a bazillion genealogical questions. I think I’ve answered nearly that many for other genealogists too. The questions I’ve asked and been asked ranged from technology to DNA to research. No matter what the topic, the answers were all much the same. They usually began with “It depends.”
That’s because genealogy isn’t always straightforward. No two mysteries require the same process to solve. Where and when you’re researching makes a huge difference in how you research and what results you might expect. Some facts may be given in most records of a certain type but not always. Hence, “it depends.”
For example, I’ve been asked whether a death certificate is worth the cost to obtain. A death certificate can answer all sorts of genealogical questions about an ancestor, but it can also leave you with even more questions than you started with. Thus, the answer is, it depends.
If you’re looking for a death date, a death certificate is a great source. If you’re looking for the names of the deceased’s parents, not so much. A death certificate might list them. It also might not list them, or the names might be wrong. That’s particularly true for older people whose children provided the information on the certificate. They weren’t alive when the deceased was born and may have had no idea who his parents were.
Nearly every genealogical record presents the same conundrum as death certificates. A document can be a great source, but it might not be. That’s why no reputable genealogist will ever tell you that a certain record will definitively answer the question you have.
This can make research incredibly frustrating. When it comes to records, some records may contain certain types of information most of the time, but none will contain it all the time. There’s really nothing you can do about it either. Except keep looking. Maybe the next document will have what you need. There’s nothing to do except remember “It just depends.”
Carol Stetser
Researcher