This edition of Tuesday's Tips comes to ous from Taralyin Parker blogger at KeepMovingForwardwithMe.com shares her tips for using Facebook Groups to help with your genealogy research.
Are you looking for a
miracle? Have you hit a dead end and don't know where to turn? Facebook groups
may have your answers! These groups can be a gold mine of information. Here
are some of my favorite types of Facebook groups and tips on how to use them.
Facebook Group Lists:
A must-have resource is Katherine Wilson’s Genealogy Groups on
Facebook List - https://socialmediagenealogy.com/genealogy-on-facebook-list/. This list is updated
regularly and is a fantastic place to look for groups to join in the topics you
are interested in. Want to collaborate with other Mayflower descendants –
there’s a group for that! Interested in vintage memorabilia from a certain time
period – there’s a group for that, too. As of May 2020, it included 16,000 links. If
you have a Facebook group yourself – make sure that you are on Katherine’s
list!
City Groups:
These groups are primarily
focused on day to day happenings in an area, but can still be a useful
resource. For example, if you have ancestors who lived in Spanish Fork, Utah,
in the early 1900s, it may be useful to join the current Spanish Fork Community
Facebook group. Local community members may be willing to help you locate a
certain location or be able to answer questions. Great place to crowdsource
information!
Historical City Groups:
Some cities have a group to
share local history and pictures. Use the Facebook search bar to look for last
names or specific events. Scrolling through the pictures is also helpful. Even
if you don’t find pictures of your own family, it is fun to see pictures from
your family’s hometowns during the time periods that they lived there.
Family Groups
Search for groups that
include the last names in your family. You may even find long lost relatives.
Can’t find any with your surnames? Start your own!
Genealogical Help Groups
There are many groups to
assist with translation, decoding DNA results, and more. I have also found
groups for beginners, for children, and for teens. Major genealogy companies
like MyHeritage have groups where you are able to ask for assistance as well.
Family Photo Groups
You may love the groups
where family photos and heirlooms are shared in an attempt to return them to
descendants. These groups are a great way to serve and help others in the
genealogy community. Doing a quick search for your family surnames may
yield fun results for you.
High School Reunion Groups
High School reunion groups
are mainly helpful with research from the 1950s onward. If you don’t have many
pictures from your own childhood, you may find classmates who have posted their
class pictures and memories in the class reunion group. This is a fantastic
place to share your photos and memories as well. Great way to connect.
Whether you are excited to
find Facebook groups or start your own, I hope these tips have been helpful to
you. Social media is a fantastic resource for collaborating and sharing
information.
Taralyn Parker is a journalist turned family historian who runs the blog Keep Moving Forward With Me. Whether she is unraveling record clues or traveling to ancestors’ hometowns, Taralyn is passionate about sharing family history and stories. She is social media manager for her local Family History Center where she regularly teaches classes. Taralyn is a multi-year Rootstech ambassador who thoroughly enjoyed making her debut as a Rootstech speaker in 2020. As a founding member of the 21-Day Family Connections Experiment, Taralyn has been actively working during the COVID-19 crisis to help families continue to connect with each and discover their family history.
Thanks so much, Taralyn! These tips are so helpful!
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