Sometimes when you have searched and searched for that genealogical answer or that missing relation and you can’t find them, you just need to step away. There are times when I feel as though I have run a query on the same sites, the same way a hundred times over. That could be the problem.
If you were to ask me and the mister to tell you how many movies Johnny Depp (swoon) has been in, we will each approach this differently. I would jump on to IMDB.com while the mister would probably just google it. Not wrong, but probably not the most efficient way for him to get the right answer. Genealogy is no different. Oftentimes we are of the mind that we MUST search these certain sites with these certain terms on these certain days at this certain time. We need to break free of that.
If we throw enough things against the wall, surely something will stick….right? Probably, but let’s switch things up a bit. First consider joining a genealogy group on Facebook. I am generally searching for ancestors in Iowa and New York so I belong to groups from both places. The members post queries, photos, information and frequently ask for guidance or assistance with their search. While the names might not be familiar or applicable to your search be open to learning how to do new things and finding new resources. Someone in the group will be happy to give you guidance and advice.
Now, turnabout is fair play. Help them out and work on a family that isn’t yours. If you don’t find anything useful then you will have no aggravation or disappointment and you can just walk away. If you locate something then they will be ecstatic and it builds up good genealogical karma. Also if you are a member of sites that they don’t have access to, run a search on their behalf. For example: In an Iowa group that I belong to another member was looking for information pertaining to a veteran’s pension. I jumped onto Fold3.com and ran a query for this person and happened to find another index card for this same man, but this one had the death date recorded on the bottom. She was thrilled and it took me less than 5 minutes. Participate in these groups even if you are a lurker. I promise you will learn some new strategies.
In another case I had posted a question regarding a Texas ancestor. Within an hour someone responded, not with the information I was looking for but with something far better. Because she searched using different methods that I do, she found what I could not. Which leads us back to my first point. If you have a genealogical partner, let them research your most burning questions and concerns. If you don’t, make use of these Facebook groups, the Ancestry message boards or your local and state message boards and queries. Whatever works best for you but involve the living in your search for the dead and I promise you will be far more successful. In the case of my Texas ancestor, the searcher was working hard to sharpen her research skills and she felt like a million bucks when she realized how excited I was.
Then there is this. Sometimes you do just have to walk away. Stop searching for that person or that line and let it go. Wait 3, 6 or 9 months and start fresh. New information my be available that wasn’t there before. I recently experienced this firsthand. I have spent many an aggravating day searching for every Salvatore, Mary and Joseph from Termini, Sicily! I know that the mister’s grandmother had family in Detroit but no one knew any names or the connections. Just prior to the 4th of July I decided to take another look at FindaGrave for one of the known relatives. Just two days before someone had posted bios and memorials for the family group that I had previously been unable to find/connect to. While I consider this anecdotal information it gives me a jumping off point that I simple didn’t have before. You can’t find what isn’t there!
To conclude this post I will share another great letter from John Jordan. Because Bob could find what I couldn’t! 🙂
