Do you always jump between ancestors when researching? You start with one and end up looking at 4 or more before you're finished and feel like all you did was jump around. I have a possible solution for you.
I call them Birthday Biographies. I always start with good intentions, but then another ancestor draws my attention and off I go..... So one day, I was trying to stay focused and an idea hit me. Or maybe an ancestor hit me upside the head with a census clipboard! Anyway, I decided that in order to research the lesser known ancestors and to stay focused on them, I needed to write a mini biography and what better way to dedicate said biography than on that ancestor's birthday!
So now I look at all the upcoming birthdays for the next month. I pick an unsuspecting candidate. I look through their file and program info and make sure it all matches and is up to date with each other. I then go about researching them online and offline. I check all the major and minor sites, even if I did before. You never know what new records could be newly available. When I have completed researching and have all the currently available information, I set about making a timeline type outline of their life. Then I will make a biography based on that timeline, and adding any extra information to make it very easy to follow.
Now this may seem daunting, but with the internet you can whip a few of these out in no time, especially if you have most of the information already.
One of the great things about these is you can work at your own pace. Once a month, bi-weekly, or even weekly. Next year the ones you missed this year, will still have a birthday to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate an ancestor's birthday than to share the life of an ancestor with your current family.
Let's work together to make your family history come alive!
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