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Family History Month is observed this month providing a perfect opportunity to reflect on and appreciate our family lineage and learn more about family members we may have never known, heard about, rarely see and/or interact with. I recently took a close look at the 1950 Census. It was interesting reviewing the Census questions and seeing the responses made by my kinfolk and their neighbors. There were the usual questions regarding age and marital status. And then there were the queries related to work: What was this person doing most of last week; Did this person do any work at all last week; Was this person looking for work; Even though he didn’t work last week, does he have a job or business; How many hours did he work last week; and What kind of work was he doing?

Looking at my mother’s info I discovered that she was working as a typist for a real estate establishment, her sister was a trimmer for a knitting mill, and her sister’s husband was a cab driver. All three were working 40 hours a week. When I read that my aunt was born in New York I realized I have some more digging to do because I thought my mom and her siblings were all born in Philadelphia, PA.

The Census is only one vehicle to use to research and gain knowledge about your family members. Genealogy Quick Start (GQS) is another place to go to begin researching your ancestry that includes online research, DNA, and much more. With GQS you can find new techniques to break through brick walls, and discover the fun and creativity involved in uncovering your past.

There’s also familysearch.org, ancestry.com, local libraries and much, much more. Tell us your favorite place to go to research your family history by CLICKING HERE.

Take some time this month to dig deeper into your family’s genealogy. And don’t forget to share what you learn with your family members at the next reunion (or before). After all, some news is just too good to hold on to.