Tips and Stories
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Ordering Military Records
What My Father’s File Taught Me Robert Gordon Howell during his U.S. Army service. Many of us know a parent, grandparent, or another relative served in the military, but beyond that, we may know very little about what happened while they were in service. Family stories are a great place to start, but official military…
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Cousins
The Family My Grandmother Never Let Me Forget When I was born, I immediately became part of something much larger than just my immediate family. I had three first cousins close to my own age—Bob, Mike, and Alisha. As little children, we spent time together playing, laughing, and simply enjoying being kids. Unfortunately, those memories…
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Why RootsMagic 11 Became My Favorite Offline Family Tree Software
When customers ask me what genealogy software I use, they’re usually surprised with my answer. To be honest, there are lots of great family tree programs available and many wonderful researchers who swear by their favorite software. But as someone who has researched his family for many years and tried numerous programs, RootsMagic 11 is…
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Stories Never Shared
Some of the most meaningful family stories are never told. They remain tucked away in a box of old papers, hidden in a drawer, or carried silently in the hearts of those who lived them. This is one of those stories. I was about twelve or thirteen years old when my curiosity got the best…
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This Story Again
By Joseph Howell, Founder of Nomadic Roots Research As a youngster, I remember spending hours listening to relatives tell the same stories, again and again. The picture above features my grandmother, Alta M. (Fitts) Howell, my great-aunt, Eileen Virginia (Fitts) Lindskog, and my great-grandmother, Katherine “Kitty” Maude (Hunsaker) Fitts. Families like to gather and share stories, memories,…
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Why Every Genealogist Should Use an Offline Family Tree Program Alongside Online Trees
One of the mistakes I see most often as a genealogy tech blogger is family historians using online trees exclusively. Companies like Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Findmypast have great online tools for discovering new information about your ancestors. However, they shouldn’t be the only place you work on your family tree. Instead, power users employ…
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