What happens to a lifetime of genealogy research? Inspired by Randy Seaver, I asked ChatGPT how to preserve 48 years of family history research. The response included practical ideas, a one-year action plan, and a vision for a “Heartland Genealogy Archive.” #heartlandgenealogy
What can an old historical society bulletin add to a family story? A 1970 biography of George Mentzer preserves his Civil War service, journey to Kansas by covered wagon, friendship with George W. Allen, life along West Owl Creek, and even the capture of an escaped cattle thief. It’s a wonderful example of how local histories can add context—and new clues—to genealogical research.
Who is your Farthest-Flung Ancestor? 🌍 This week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun had me calculating the distances from my ancestral homelands to Seneca, Kansas. The winner surprised me! Read more on Heartland Genealogy. #heartlandgenealogy
Walking in My Great-Grandfather’s Footsteps One of the challenges of family history is that our ancestors often leave behind only the bare facts of their… Read More »Judson Foster Crawford – Railroad Man
Two newspapers, one 1907 wedding—and different details in each. Discover what the accounts of Cora Adams and Nelson Crawford’s Dodge City marriage reveal about their work, honeymoon, and connection to Nelson’s widowed mother.
Why do Ancestry ThruLines match numbers sometimes drop as you move back a generation? A look at my Hutchinson DNA puzzle, what ThruLines numbers really mean, and why documented descendant research matters more than the red numbers. #genealogy #geneticgenealogy #AncestryDNA #ThruLines
When I mailed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department of Veterans Affairs in December 2024, I knew I might be waiting… Read More »FOIA Disappointing
Ever tried building a custom “Gem” in Google Gemini? 💎
I went from hesitant to hooked after realizing how much AI can streamline a research workflow. In my latest blog post, I share the exact prompts I developed to handle everything from clear board member updates to generating chronological family histories directly from RootsMagic narrative reports (complete with source citations!).
Check out the prompts and see how you can start building your own custom AI assistants:
What looked like a routine 1899 Kansas deed turned out to preserve part of a decades-long friendship. A family biography explains why George W. Allen of Massachusetts sold 160 acres in Woodson County to Fred Mentzer—and connects the transaction to a covered-wagon journey, a Kansas homestead, and the Mentzer family’s early years on the prairie.
This week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge asked about names that run in the family. I thought the answer would be Noah, Nelson, or John—but my pedigree revealed a different story. Four generations of Hirams made the strongest case.