EVERYTHING BLOGS
These are the "variety shows" of geneablogs. Find a little (or a lot) of
everything here: news releases, product reviews, tips, finds, rants,
raves, shout-outs and humor.
- Clue Wagon:
Whether sharing a tale of hiring a genealogy psychic or her
funny-but-true tip on finding "missing" marriages in Las Vegas, Kerry
Scott keeps her readers laughing and learning. Clue Wagon is "an
absolutely refreshing blog," writes one nominator. Another finds her
"witty, funny, edgy, informative, educational and helpful, all rolled
into one blog." Scott's a trip, and it's worth the trip to her site.
- Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter:
Dick Eastman's newsletter is "the daddy" of genealogy news feeds, as
one fan puts it. He covers all the news immediately and thoroughly, and
talks technology with expert authority and passion. More-than-daily
content ranges from little-known research resources to archives in
financial straits to advice for backing up your genealogy files.
- footnoteMaven:
This unnamed woman shares artifacts from days gone by -- lyrics, poems,
photos, illustrations and historical documents -- to illuminate our
ancestors' worlds. (She's not too highbrow for humor, though: check out
her lyrics to "Good Citations," to the tune of "Good Vibrations"). The
Maven has a fun, smart voice of someone you'd want to join for tea.
- Olive Tree Genealogy:
Lorine McGinnis Schulze has been geneablogging since 2003, or the
Middle Ages of blogging ("blog" wasn't Merriam-Webster's Word of the
Year until 2004). Near-daily posts cover sources, products, tips, and
personal stories. One fan says that "the variety of her posts are of
interest to anyone seriously involved in genealogy." Bonus: Schulze's
companion site hosts free genealogy databases.
- We Tree: Amy Coffin shares genealogy news, posts personal finds, reviews products, and cheerleads fellow family historians
here. Fans love her creative ideas and a writing style they describe as
laid-back and conversational. "She makes genealogy and writing fun,
educational and interesting," says one nominator. A librarian and
experienced researcher, Coffin inspires her followers with practical
savvy and passion.
CEMETERIES
Graveyard blogs bring cemeteries alive (figuratively, of course). Learn
from cemetery lovers how to appreciate and understand the final resting
places of your ancestors.
- Association of Graveyard Rabbits:
This unique blog and online journal represents the efforts of several
"graveyard rabbit" cemetery enthusiasts. Weekly posts introduce fellow
members and link to all their articles. The journal promotes graveyard
research and preservation. You'll see names of other top 40 bloggers
here: Gale Wall of Digital Cemetery Walk (next) is the managing editor
and footnoteMaven is the creative director.
- Digital Cemetery Walk:
"Every stone has a story. And they are waiting to be told." This is
Gale Wall's motto for a blog that shares images of gravestones and
cemetery plots, the stories behind them, and thoughts inspired by
traipsing through cemeteries. Her posts are informative, inspiring and
often poignant. See her Cemetery Bookshelf page for a great list of
resources.
- Escape to Silent Cities:
Tammi Thiele's lifelong passion for cemeteries shows in her writing and
photography. Her young but prolific blog boasts near-daily entries with
beautiful images and plenty of cemetery lore (such as tombstone trivia)
and biographies of the deceased. If you aren't already a fan of
cemeteries, Thiele will make you one. As she states on her site, "The
best way to learn about neat cemeteries are from the [people] who love
them."
- Granite in My Blood:
"Graveyard rabbit" Midge Frazel blogs about family gravesites and her
ancestors' stories, but her posts often have wider appeal. She freely
shares lessons learned (do your research before cemetery visits) and
opinions on genealogy products. One fan writes, "The blog contains
beautiful photos and interesting tips and info on cemeteries, genealogy
and family."
- Gravestoned:
This anonymous blogger is fairly new to the scene, but gives expert
commentary on gravestone iconography and epitaphs. Gravestoned takes
beautiful photos of markers, researches the origin of poetic
inscriptions, and offers examples of similarly themed stones. The author
participates regularly in the GeneaBlogger daily theme "Wednesday's
Child," with posts on infant and child graves.
TECHNOLOGY BLOGS
Technophiles and luddites alike can learn from experts who chat about
what's new and improved in the go-go-gadget genealogy world.
- Ancestry Insider: On this blog, you'll find an insider's perspective on genealogical data giants Ancestry.com
and FamilySearch.
Having been employed by both organizations, the anonymous writer
generally supports what they do, but is the first to comment (in a funny
way) when things could go better. One fan doesn't "know what I would do
if [this blog] wasn't around; it gives the best info on what is
happening."
- Dienekes' Anthropology Blog:
Dienekes Pontikos blogs on "the study of mankind from a biological and
cultural evolutionary perspective." Thousands of readers tune in from
around the world. This isn't a Genealogy Genetics 101 class: He assumes
you know the science. Even if discussions on haplotypes lose you, you'll
be fascinated by his coverage of the oldest human populations, their
movements and interactions.
- Genealogy's Star:
James Tanner specializes in serious, discussion-generating posts on
topics genealogists feel passionately about. His blog covers large-scale
data and technology topics, technical issues such as copyright and
source citation in genealogy, and everyday concerns such as researching
in a dysfunctional family. Readers love his "common-sense point of view"
and "advice and guides that are useful for the
not-quite-so-technologically savvy."
- Moultrie Creek Gazette:
Denise Barrett Olson organizes her prolific posts in different
sections, similar to a newspaper. Content centers on her family and
regional research, but her Digital Toolbox and Digital Publishing
columns offer straightforward technology articles for any genealogist.
Her fans love her project ideas (click on Projects under Digital
Products) and respect her expertise: "If Denise doesn't know about it,
it isn't worth knowing."
- Renee's Genealogy Blog:
Renee Zamora blogs for the Latter-day Saints family history scene (a
passionate population of family historians who attach religious
significance to their research efforts). She frequently posts on
happenings in the online genealogy world, with an emphasis on FamilySearch, RootsMagic (for whom she works) and Utah events. She often publishes news releases with her own commentary attached.
HERITAGE GROUPS
Like attending the fish fry down at the Irish-American club or playing
dominoes in the park with your hometown neighbors, reading good heritage
blogs puts you in touch with friendly and fascinating folks who offer
insight into your own long-gone family.
- Acadian and French-Canadian Ancestral Home:
Lucie Le Blanc Consentino tells the stories of Franco-American
forebears, including ill-fated Acadians -- descendants of French
colonists settling in present-day Nova Scotia. Posts include
transcriptions of documents, personal stories, and historic events. The
blog is "an absolute treasure trove of information for Acadian
genealogy," writes a nominator. "It's clear that Lucie is a fastidious
researcher who's passionate about her work."
- Georgia Black Crackers:
Mavis Jones puts 20-plus years of ancestor searching to good use in
this blog about her maternal ancestors. (The name, suggested by her mother,
is a tribute to the Atlanta Black Crackers baseball team of the old
Negro League.) She posts moving tributes as well as transcriptions of
historical documents. Written with both family and a larger audience in
mind, Jones offers "great advice and information to her fellow
African-American genealogists," according to one fan.
- Help! The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors!:
Those with Irish ancestry will love Deborah Large Fox's blog. She knows
Irish and Irish-American records, terminology and culture, and shares
tons of tips, brick wall strategies, links and visuals. Fox posts her
own family traditions
and research adventures, including perspectives learned from across the
pond. A fan of this blog calls it "common sense, easy enough to read
and entertaining."
- Luxegen:
Joan Miller is a long-time genealogist from Calgary, Alberta, who took
her family research online several years ago. Her site has pages on most
regions of Canada, but a nominator loves her "emphasis on prairie
provinces. This is one of the few blogs that mentions this region of
Canada." She talks about regional conferences and family records, and
even answers readers' questions.
- Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog:
Though there are several great Jewish roots blogs, this is the one
nominators raved most about. Journalist Schelly Talalay Dardashti "does a
great job of balancing the Jewish with the genealogy," comments one
fan. "She brings together information from individual Jewish genealogy
societies, JewishGen, non-genealogical Jewish resources, and non-Jewish
genealogical resources."
RESEARCH ADVICE
How-to blogs offer great tips and advice when your research slumps or
hits a brick wall -- and the five winners in this category have
especially great guidance.
- The Armchair Genealogist:
Known for the Ultimate Guide to Writing a Family History blog series,
Lynn Palermo has great how-tos for computer-wielding genealogists.
Topics range from organization to source citation, records to recipes.
"Lynn's writing is clear, concise and helpful," writes one fan. "The
layout is reader-friendly. She offers suggestions in a variety of genealogical research areas."
- Family Curator:
Denise Levenick, aka Penelope Dreadful in the Shades of the Departed
online magazine (this category's Panel Pick), writes as herself in this
informative but personal blog. She favors how-to family archiving topics
such as duplicating documents and photos. As one fan puts it, "She
knows her curating." Levenick also easily segues into personal research
and travel, offering lessons and motivation for any genealogist.
- Genealogy Tip of the Day:
Every genealogist should subscribe to this blog. Its bite-sized tips
are practical and universal, and the daily pace keeps family history on
your mind. Many of author Michael John Neill's tips come from his own
mistakes -- you'll occasionally see a "don't do this!" He also authors
Casefile Clues, a weekly subscription newsletter on serious methodology.
- NARAtions:
Stay up to date with projects, policies, personnel, and records at the
US National Archives with this blog. Look especially for the Family Tree
Fridays posts about specific genealogical records. NARAtions makes the
National Archives less intimidating and more accessible, because the
more you know, the more you'll get out of its 9 billion documents on
file.
- Shades of the Departed:
Gorgeous antique images accompany regular posts on how photographs help
genealogical researchers unpuzzle the past. Written by footnoteMaven
(honored in the Everything category), the blog accompanies a free
bimonthly e-zine penned by multiple contributors and edited by the
Maven.
LOCAL & REGIONAL RESEARCH
Use these blogs to meet the locals. Find great insider information and
connect with those who know your ancestors' neighborhoods like their
own.
- Brooklyn Historical Society Blog:
What a wonderful glimpse into the lives and times of early Brooklyn,
NY. Multiple authors post on research resources, local history and
personalities, and other topics of interest to those with ancestors in
Brooklyn. It's a great model for other genealogical societies for
blogging on both modern community and history.
- California Genealogical Society and Library Blog:
In November 2007, Kathryn Doyle launched this blog after determining
that her society needed to "go virtual or perish." Certainly the society
is experiencing a long and healthy life, if its active blog and
extensive website are its vital signs. Local events and member stories
are top topics.
- Eastern Washington Genealogical Society:
This site is all about community: It shares frequent news and
information with a small but involved group based out of Spokane. Find a
great page of links for those researching roots in eastern Washington
state.
- New York History:
History writer John Warren posts frequently (averaging nearly twice a
day in 2010) on New York state's history and historical organizations.
Find out about resources, conferences, tours, preservation projects and
more. the blog is a great resource for genealogists who want stay
informed about New York research resources and heritage tourism.
- Sandusky History: This blog reads like a fascinating, ever-changing local history exhibit. The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center
posts content from its collections, focused on Erie County, Ohio, with
plenty of images and text. Detailed category tags make it easy to search
by specific topics.
NEW BLOGS
Get inspired by the fresh perspectives and enthusiasm of "newbie"
bloggers. Careful, though: They might inspire you to start your own
blog.
- Climbing My Family Tree:
Who says an Army wife with five kids doesn't have time for ancestor
hunting? Jennifer's entries are enthusiastic, frequent, personal and
full of finds (many cached in GeneaBlogger daily blogging prompts). Her
site is laid out beautifully, and she posts plenty of eye-candy images.
- Have You Seen My Roots?:
Cheryl Cayemberg is blogging her way to genealogical accreditation.
It's easy to root for the efforts of this redheaded mom of two if you
follow her blog, as she posts frequent finds and other fun stuff.
- Heritage Zen:
Cynthia Shenette's "ultimate quest" is "to find two ancestors with the
same surname who actually spelled their surnames exactly the same way"
-- quite a task, given the unpronounceable surnames she lists. Her
fascinating entries range in topic from circus women to entangled
Eastern European immigrant groups.
- Journey to the Past:
Brenda Leyndyke began tracing her roots a few years ago in an effort to
help her father write his autobiography. Her newsy blog focuses on four
family surnames and is packed with sources. One fan loves the ancestor
biographies, Civil War pension records posts, and local history content
from Battle Creek, Mich.
- Old Stones Undeciphered:
Lisa Wallen Logsdon is a philosophical geneablogger who posts thorough
research and plenty of it. She shares both the research journey and
family stories. Her posts offer inspiration for anyone wanting to write
up their research, but not sure how to do it.
MY FAMILY HISTORY
It's personal with these bloggers, whose primary motivation is to share their ancestors with the living.
- Greta's Genealogy Blog:
Her tagline reads "seriously obsessed with genealogy since 2005," and
it shows. Along with original content, Greta Koehl rounds up posts she
loves from other family history bloggers and shares them with her
sizeable following. (Be sure to check out her links to Texas, South
Carolina, and black history resources, too.)
- Little Bytes of Life :
Elizabeth O'Neal began this well-followed blog in 2007 in search of
community, as she lives far from any major genealogy library. Today she
considers her blog "cousin bait," and freely shares well-researched
family history finds and fascinations.
- Mississippi Memories:
Janice Tracy's a great family storyteller who weaves all her sources
(family stories, photographs and research finds) into compelling tales.
She posts most frequently on her Attala County, Miss., relations, and a
good deal of local lore works its way into her entries.
- Nutfield Genealogy:
Veteran researcher Heather Rojo combines interest in her own family and
her locale in this research-rich blog. As Captain of the New Hampshire
Mayflower society, she includes plenty of genealogical goings-on around
New England and beyond.
- West in New England :
Bill West is a bookseller who shares research findings, commentary,
brick-wall frustrations, and plenty of GeneaBlogger daily prompts. His
genealogical use of GoogleMaps http://www.maps.google.com is exemplary,
as are a few long-running series of posts such as "A Family Reunion of
Sorts" and "Granduncle Clarence Remembers More."
