I began reeling rolls of census microfilm while I was still in high school--almost 40 years ago now. Later, I was lucky to live in Kansas, enabling 2-3 trips per month to Kansas Historical Society Library and the National Archives in Kansas City, MO. After that, I chose to seek a job and home near Des Moines, IA, solely based on the 2 genealogy libraries there. (This was before anything was available on Internet.)

My family program includes 18,000 people--because you never know what the research of cousins' lines will reveal about your mutual ancestors. My 3rd great grandfather Philip Cline died in Nebraska in early 1890's and no sources named his parents. However, his son's 1911 funeral was attended by cousins unknown to me (the newspaper told their names and Iowa town of residence). I researched those cousins, readily finding their ancestors--which led back to my 4th great grandfather. Once I knew about him, through the cousin lines, I found an 1880s book that said, yes, he had a son Philip who had gone to Iowa and Nebraska. I'd gained a generation back via the cousins when my own direct line was a "brick wall."

I began reeling rolls of census microfilm while I was still in high school--almost 40 years ago now. Later, I was lucky to live in Kansas, enabling 2-3 trips per month to Kansas Historical Society Library and the National Archives in Kansas City, MO. After that, I chose to seek a job and home near Des Moines, IA, solely based on the 2 genealogy libraries there. (This was before anything was available on Internet.)

My family program includes 18,000 people--because you never know what the research of cousins' lines will reveal about your mutual ancestors. My 3rd great grandfather Philip Cline died in Nebraska in early 1890's and no sources named his parents. However, his son's 1911 funeral was attended by cousins unknown to me (the newspaper told their names and Iowa town of residence). I researched those cousins, readily finding their ancestors--which led back to my 4th great grandfather. Once I knew about him, through the cousin lines, I found an 1880s book that said, yes, he had a son Philip who had gone to Iowa and Nebraska. I'd gained a generation back via the cousins when my own direct line was a "brick wall."