3. "I'm Stuck"
"--in other words, I have a Family History Mystery!"

It can be frustrating or discouraging to try to get beyond that brick wall, but some ideas below may help you with those ancestors who seem to be playing a good game of "hide and seek."

1. The main reasons we can't find some ancestors are:
     A. They had a different spelling of their surname than the one we know.
     B. They went by a different name in their life. Example, "Jack" instead of "John,"
          or they used a middle name instead of their given first name.
     C. Place names have changed through the years. Even if persons did not move
          in their lifetime, they may have lived in two different counties or townships
          if the boundaries moved.

2. Move backward in an orderly fashion, obtaining the most recent records first:
          (Death ---- marriage ---- social security application ---- birth).

3. Coordinate with other family members. They may have clues or answers. Don't spend
     looking for and then finding some information and have one of your relatives say,
    "Oh, I knew that!"

4. Go to the FHC and consult the research guide for the area you're searching.
     The Family History Library Catalog database may also have some clues for you to try.

5. A sibling of your direct ancestor may have better records than your ancestor.
    Check the siblings' records to locate their common parents.

6. Learn about the naming customs for the culture you're searching, ex.,
    English, Scandinavian, Jewish, Latin American, etc.

7. Check the internet ... it can even be free to search.

8. Check census, civil registration (birth, marriage, death records), probate, & property
     records. Visit cemeteries, newspaper offices, county courthouses and town or county
     libraries.

9. Change gears and search another ancestral line for awhile...return after a break.

10. PRAY.. .PONDER... PERSEVERE... BE PATIENT

Sample Documents
Genealogy Menu Items
SherwoodOhana Website