Question Everything

As a person who enjoys researching, I will let you in on a little secret- question EVERYTHING!  Information that sounds too good to be true, often is...and information that may sound like first-hand knowledge, often isn't.  So how do you know what and who to trust? 

Marriage certificate of Gustav Adolph Hagerstrand and Mary Elizabeth Danner

As is the case with all research, it is best to base your findings on primary or first-hand information.  I always question anything that is not, but I also tend to question primary resources, especially if I know the source of the information.  For example, when researching family members, it helps to utilize the census from various years to piece together information.  However, often times you will find misleading information, especially when it involves their country of orgin and sometimes even the spelling of your ancestor's name.  Keep in mind that censuses are not written by your relatives, and often language barriers caused issues with spelling while neighbors sometimes gave misguided information if your relatives were not home when the census takers came around. 

Marriage certificate of William Robert Jordan and Eva May Shurtleff

I have also found that somtimes your relatives do not know all of the information or may have memory of only certain truths.  For instance, my dad only knew his grandmother as "Minnie", while his sister was able to tell me that her actual name was "Minerva".  Yet I am still confused as to her last name.  My mother had written down years ago, that her father was Henry Gimble and her brother was Charles Gimble.  Well, in a census it shows Charles as Henry's stepson.  So now I'm left wondering- was Gimble even the maiden name of my great-grandmother? 

Some may be in a different language

It is so important to constantly ask what is referred to as research questions while you conduct your family research.  It not only helps you to stay focused, especially since there are so many relatives to investigate, but it also reminds you to question and carefully piece together all of the information (even primary information) you find. For example, a research question I have for Minnie is: "What is Minerva's maiden name?" By staying focused on this question, I focus on information that will help guide me to this information, such as a birth certificate or marriage license.

Good luck in your endeavors to find your family's truths, and don't forget...Question EVERYTHING!