Generations Cafe

There are so many benefits to writing about your genealogy, but getting started can feel tough. Who should you write about? What should you say?

Writing can preserve our research, help us spot gaps in what we think we know, and connect us with others who are researching the same people. So how can we do that without feeling completely overwhelmed?

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a free writing challenge with weekly prompts to help give you ideas of what (and who) to write about. It's flexible for your needs. Take the prompts and interpret them how you want to.

Writing can take many forms, whether it's blogging, journaling, scrapbooking, video-making, emailing, or posting on social media.

The idea is to do something with your genealogy research.

You can find the show notes for this episode (and sign up for the free 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge) at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/52ancestors.

Land records show more than just the transfer of land from one owner to another. They contain tremendous amounts of information that we can use in our genealogy research.

In this episode, you'll learn 11 things that are typical to find in a deed and what they could mean in your research.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/37

Family stories are as important to genealogy as census records. They are what make our ancestors (and us) human. Here are 5 tips for getting more (and better) family stories when talking to a relative, along with the a surprising tip about preserving them.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/38

In this follow-up to Episode 35, where we discussed strategies for downsizing, I share my real-life experience in downsizing my parents' home of 35 years -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/36

Newspapers are a gold mine of genealogical information. But if you stop looking for them after using the daily or weekly newspaper from your ancestor's home town, you might be stopping too soon.

In this episode, Amy shares 3 other kinds of newspapers that you need to be familiar with, and where you can find them. These "other" newspapers are often more detailed than the mainstream newspaper and are well worth the effort to find them.

You can find the show notes, complete with links to resources, at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/42.