99 Genealogy Things

Variations of this meme have been floating around for awhile.  This version came from Valerie Elkins at Family Cherished.  You know, this would be a good basis for a bucket list.  Just saying.

Key:

Things you have already done or found – bold type

Things you would like to do or find – italics

Things you have not done or found /don’t care to – (or that I know hasn’t happened in my family).

99 Genealogy Things

1. Belong to a genealogical society (four, well, three genie and one historical)
2. Joined a group on Genealogy Wise.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery. (The Hemphill-McEntire cemetery so needs work.)
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference. Thinking about it.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society/local library’s family history group.  Again, thinking about it.
12. Joined the National Genealogical Society.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.  Not yet, but I will.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society. Not on my list at this time.
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
16. Talked to dead ancestors.
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. Not an ancestral home, per se, but the home of a  deceased cousin.
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name (and those of ancestors – it turns up great info sometimes)
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it. Not yet, but I have an offer out to someone.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research. I’m ambivalent about both 25 and 26 at this time.  
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.  Again with the ambivalence.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion. I can’t say I want to be, but really, it’s just inevitable.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items.  I have some things in mind. . .
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise. I think we need to organize a geneablogger group cruise.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space. – Hello, Barbara (Baxter) Kendrick?
36. Found a disturbing family secret.
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret (but not all of the secrets).  Umm, not yet.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion and/or obsession not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person.
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. I’m a little OCD about my backups.
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.  I live in small town where my family has been for almost 200 years.  Pretty much everybody is a cousin of some degree.
45. Disproved a family myth through research. Just give me time. : )
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. There are German records in my future.
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.  Oh yeah.  This is why I appreciate digitized census records so very much!
    
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  Not yet!
53. Used Google+ for genealogy.  Not really, but, hey, join my circle.
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy. Thinking about doing a continuing ed class.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.  To steal Valerie’s answer, “isn’t that what the computers are for?”
61. Have found many relevant and unexpected articles on internet to “put flesh on the bones”.  I’m not really sure what this means, but I think I have.
62. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills. – I have two copies – one hardback and one e-book.  Do I get extra points?
63. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.  I’ll never use Ellis Island or Castle Garden records in my own research, but would love to help someone else with them.
64. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
65. Have an ancestor who came to America as an indentured servant. – maybe, not proven yet.
66. Have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Civil War. Yes, yes, and yes. Multiple times.
67. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
68. Can “read” a church record in Latin.
69. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name, just enough to be confusing.  No one comes to mind. . .
70. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
71. Created a family website.
72. Have a genealogy blog.
73. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone. Have I mentioned the 31 (yes 31) emails I got from a relative a couple of Fridays ago?  It’s all good. . .
74. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
75. Done genealogy research at a court house.
76. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center(s).
77. Found an ancestor in an online newspaper archive.
78. Have visited a NARA branch.
79. Have an ancestor who served in WWI or WWII.
80. Use maps in my genealogy research.
    
81. Have a blacksheep ancestor.
82. Found a bigamist amongst my ancestors. Hello, 3rd great-grandfather, James B. Butler.  Oh, and 4th great-grandfather, John Whitener.  Correction:  John Whitener was not a bigamist.  He just started having kids with the woman who later became his third wife while he was still married to (and having kids with) his second wife.
83. Attended a genealogical institute. IGHR is in my future.
84. Taken online genealogy (and local history) courses.
85. Consistently (document) and cite my sources.  I do now.
86. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don’t live in) in search of ancestors.
87. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.  Yeah, pretty much. I do have some things that haven’t been filed yet. . .
88. Have an ancestor who was married four times. Several three-peaters, though.
89. Made a rubbing of an ancestor’s gravestone.  Nope, photos all the way for me.
90. Followed genealogists on Twitter. You mean there’s another reason to be on Twitter? (p. s. I’m @toniasroots)
91. Published a family history book. – maybe in the future, not sure.
92. Learned of a death of a fairly close family relative through research.
93. Offended a family member with my research.  I don’t think I have.
94. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
95. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database.
96. Submitted articles for FamilySearch Wiki.
97. Organized a family reunion.
98. Used Archives in countries where my ancestors originated.
99. Converted someone new to the love of all things genealogy.  Why yes, I have.  : )

So, what are your 99 things?

Related posts: