It's been about 5 years since I wrote a blog post detailing how to send an invite to view an AncestryDNA test's match list. There have been some changes over that time and so I have made step by step image files showing the process via a web browser or via the AncestryDNA App.
You can click on the images to enlarge them. Hope this is helpful.
We are so lucky to have so many free records online at FamilySearch. The Tax Books for Rutherford Co Tennessee District 10 were my focus yesterday as I collected the information from the entries of my Great Grandfather, William Green Cook--a resident there from 1912 thru 1944. I collected the information and organized it in a Google Sheet which I saved as a PDF along with notes/observations and source information. This process made it easy to upload the PDF to my Family Tree at Ancestry in William Green Cook's gallery. After uploading the PDF, I used the custom event and named one Property Tax for each year. Below is a screenshot of the first sheet of the PDF file to give you an idea of what information I logged.
This information gave me some ideas of other places in which to look for clues about my Great Grandfather.
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| Written on back of Photo: 1940 4 Door Chevrolet Thur 11-15- 45 |
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| Joanne Bowen Fri 9-20-46 |
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| 1941 Pontiac 8" Red Sedanette Monday June 2, 1947 1219 East Willard Street |
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| 1941 Pontiac 8" Red Sedanette Wed. June 11, 1947 |
The folks on Sesame Street have been teaching the importance of the people in your neighborhood for years. There is even a meme circulating on many of the social media platforms that reminds us that we can "never forget the neighborhood kids or the great times we had." Where am I going with this? I want to offer a bit of advice that has helped me in my research and enriched my knowledge of my family. If you are not in contact with the descendants of folks who were the neighbors of your parents & grandparents, you should be. You both have stories and in many cases pictures of each other's family. Have old family pictures of people you don't know? They may be able to help you figure out the identity of those folks.
About 6 years back I contacted the descendant of one of my grandparents neighbors. It's been great to share stories that were handed down about the people in the neighborhood and their interactions. Earlier this week she brought me old photos that she'd inherited--some pictures of my folks and others within that neighborhood. I've spent the better part of this week scanning and adding them to my Old Hickory, TN--Dupont tree at Ancestry. Thankfully the majority of the people in the pictures are identified. This was a true blessing for me and my family and I hope that once I get the pictures uploaded others with family there can experience that same joy.
Family history research is more than just names, dates and begets, It's pictures and documents which, when analyzed and pieced together weave the stories of the lives of our ancestors.
