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Using Ancestry.com Like a Detective – in your own research and on CSI!

Ancestry.com — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 02:17:00 +0000

Ancestry.com solves mysteries! At least that’s what it did on tonight’s episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” as detectives dove into a family tree to see which clues the subject of one investigation had already uncovered about members of her family.

Curious how you can search Ancestry.com detective style? You can learn the tricks to finding 20^th-century answers in your family tree in our short desktop education video, Search Ancestry.com Like a Detective. Next thing you know, you’ll be solving your own family history mysteries just like the pros.

Putting the Pieces Together: Last Night’s Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:18:15 +0000

Known for her Southern cooking and hospitality, celebrity chef Paula Deen searched for more information about her Southern roots on the season finale of Who Do You Think You Are? Better still, Deen picked up a new skill along the way – she found out just what you have to do to turn records and history into a family’s personal story.

Here’s how it happened: Deen was trying to reconstruct an ancestor’s life following the Civil War. So she turned to tax records from the 1870s. Individually those records didn’t seem to say much. But once Deen created a handwritten grid, the tax information began to tell a story. Noting the number of hired hands, acres and value of the land and personal estate over the years, Deen saw a rapid financial decline in 1874. Plotting her ancestor’s fortunes against what was going on in the U.S. at the time, it was apparent that his financial situation took a drastic downturn during the country’s depression.

But Deen didn’t dwell on the negative. Instead she chose to draw strength from these past events and look to the future. It’s a lesson for everyone who dives into their family history – learn from it and grow.
Ancestry.com is a sponsor of Who Do You Think You Are? Missed the episode? Watch it online here.

Tonight Paula Deen Stirs up History on Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:17:35 +0000

Paula Deen’s great-great-great-grandfather lived through slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction just as much as Jefferson Davis and Ulysses S. Grant did. While most of our ancestors aren’t mentioned in history books, this fact is one more reason for us to look back and stake our personal claim to events that shaped the world. Learn more about what Deen discovered when she found her family’s place in historic events on the season finale of Who Do You Think You Are? airing tonight at 8/7c on NBC. Ancestry.com is a sponsor of the show.

The Ripple Effect on Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:20:48 +0000

When Jason Sudeikis set off to uncover the fate of his grandfather, whose story was a mystery to him, he probably didn’t expect to find three generations of fatherless sons, but that’s exactly what he discovered on Who Do You Think You Are? Included was an immigrant ancestor, Sudeikis’s great-great-great-grandfather, whose story unfolded with the help of passenger lists as family members came to America to start a new life. But tragically, his life was cut short by a mine explosion – an event that reverberated through the family tree for generations. Who Do You Think You Are? is sponsored by Ancestry.com and airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC. Missed the episode? Watch it online.

Events and decisions in a single family member’s life can have long-term effects, sometimes affecting family for countless decades. And the outcomes can be good or bad. A decision to immigrate to a new country may bring with it opportunities not available back home. The loss of a job can be the trigger that launches a small, family-run business. Learning more about family history stories provides insight into the people they became. It may even shed a bit of light on who we are today, too.

This Friday on Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:20:43 +0000

A greater appreciation of the past can help us forge a stronger connection with the present. And never has that been more true than in Jason Sudeikis’s story. When he searches for more information about his grandfather, Sudeikis learns how great an effect fate had on his family. And that his own father was the one who broke a chain of three generations of Sudeikis men who had abandoned their families. It’s powerful family history with a happy ending on tonight’s Who Do You Think You Are? 8/7c on NBC.

A profound discovery in a well-hidden past on last night’s Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:31:10 +0000

Rashida Jones remembers her grandmother fondly, but until she began her journey into her family history, she didn’t know a lot about her grandmother’s past. A little crafty research changed all of that – including the origins of a surname, Benson. Her grandmother’s arrival record through the Port of New York revealed that an uncle with the surname Benson, too. Jones traced her roots to Ireland, and eventually to Latvia, she learned that “Benson” was actually the first surname the family ever held. A seemingly random name change was actually a link to her family’s deep roots.

Although her great-great-grandfather left Latvia, branches of the family stayed put and Jones learned the tragic fate of relatives who remained. It’s such a poignant reminder of how profoundly decisions made generations before impact each of us today. Links to the past are strong and so are the stories of the people who paved the way. Miss the episode? Watch it on NBC.com

Ancestry.com is a sponsor of Who Do You Think You Are? airing Friday nights at 8/7c on NBC.

A life-saving decision on tonight’s Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:30:52 +0000

Rashida Jones sums it up best herself in tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? when she says that tracing her maternal line back six generations left her feeling “like a miracle.” For Jones, the discovery she makes is about a great-great-grandfather’s choice to leave Latvia — a single decision that saved an entire branch of Jones’s family tree. Tune in to NBC at 8/7c tonight to learn the whole story on Who Do You Think You Are?, sponsored by Ancestry.com.

Using a Death Record to Learn about Their Lives

Ancestry.com — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:13:33 +0000

Professional football great, Jerome Bettis went on an emotional journey on Who Do You Think You Are? to learn more about his great-grandfather who abandoned the family. But death certificates, newspaper accounts and other records helped put Bettis on the right path, where he learned that he comes from a line of family members who stood up for their rights, even as the odds were stacked against them. Ancestry.com is a sponsor of the show. Missed the episode? Watch it on NBC.com.

Death records contain other clues, too. Place of birth for the deceased can help you locate birth records and age and birth date are typically included as well. You may also find an address of the deceased, as well as the place where he or she died, occasionally even how long the person lived in the area, maybe even in the country. Also note informant, the person who gave the information about the deceased individual. This is usually another member of the family tree.

Death certificates can rich sources of answers about your family. And they may be the key you need to discover even more.

A trail of strength and courage on this week’s Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:54:30 +0000

According to the family lore, professional football-great Jerome Bettis’s great-grandfather simply disappeared. End of story? Not on this week’s Who Do You Think You Are? Bettis starts his search with a death record and continues on his quest, discovering stories of strength and family members who were born into slavery. Ancestry.com is a sponsor of the show, airing Friday nights at 8/7c on NBC. Plus visit www.ancestry.com/wdytya starting Saturday morning to learn more about using death records in your research.

Tonight on Who Do You Think You Are?

Ancestry.com — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:25:02 +0000

Do you know which of your ancestors was the first to set foot in America? It’s a good question — one that country music legend Reba McEntire is hoping to answer for her mother. But the history she uncovers isn’t always pleasant, and Reba discovers that her own family connections lead to a pair of bleak facts in American history: slavery and indentured servitude.

Ancestry.com is a sponsor of Who Do You Think You Are? Watch Reba’s journey unfold tonight at 8/7c on NBC. And visit www.ancestry.com/wdytya Saturday morning to learn more about linking your ancestor’s story to history, too.