Tuesday's Tip------ Think Outside the Box

Tuesday's Tip------ Think Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box, you say, but we are creatures of  habit. It is so hard to make the mind think
differently.

 If you look at a Will and see the same thing each time, your rote, not thinking outside the box.

 Have you looked at CW Pension Files and five years later suddenly see a clue you missed the first time
 again your stuck in rote mode.

  Being blessed at listening to some very good speakers in the 1990's and forward I was able to pick up
  some really great tips that I am just now hearing more people talk about.

  George Schweitzer, has been extremely influential in my genealogical career.  How I wish I could have
  taped some of his talks.

  Today we hear about Cluster Genealogy, lumping groups together, we should do that from the beginning,
   not wait until we are blocked for more information.

  Agreeing with the concept you have to put yourself in their place to understand their doings, George S
   would  dress in period costume and speak in the language of the day.  Wow, that was a real eye opener.
 
  Helping someone who is really stuck in finding answers reminds me of all these manipulations that we
  are going back and doing.

  Do you copy the census page before and after your name, for collateral clues to married in family, for
  when you run out of clues?  G. S. said 20 names before and 20 names after, and yes that means either
  previous page or next page to turn also. I use a full page either way, it saves time for researching.

  Have you ever gone back to the first basic census to suddenly see the Henderson's, Stewart's, King's,
  Neal's, Hickman's, & Gallentine's all as neighbors of the ancestor your seek?

  Why yes, they are related. The children married into these neighboring families and extended the family  
   and added more names to search.

   The same applies to land records, who were the neighbors?  Did a daughter or son marry that
   immediate neighbor.  It is like you need to search the village to find the child.

   As I go back sharing the things that many taught me I hope I help you in your endeavors.