Genealogy Tips
By Jeannette Holland Austin:
Find the Old Neighborhood
One of the first visits to make when searching for your ancestors is the cemetery where your people were buried. First, locate the old section. This is also the location of the graves of other relatives, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Notably, the
tombstones also include distant ancestors that you have not yet discovered. You will see their names as witnesses on special documents, such as old wills and testaments, estate transactions, receipts, and land plats. Sometimes there are surprises! I once discovered inscriptions on several tombstones naming the husband, the wife, and their children! A good idea is to write down all names in the old section.
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