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Posts Tagged ‘history’

YouTube: Barranquitas, Puerto Rico: the town and the tobacco industry in 1941

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

This is a beautiful video montage of photos taken by photographer Jack Delano in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, in December 1941. The video is a cinematic overview of daily life in a Puerto Rican agricultural community during the Great Depression and at the onset of World War II.

Barranquitas is a small mountain town and municipality located in the Cordillera Central region of Puerto Rico.

My family is from the island’s west coast, in Rincón, Puerto Rico, in the mountainous region of Barrio Cruces. The video coaxed me into imagining my ancestors working long, arduous days in the sugar cane fields.

As I research and write about my family history, I aim to pay tribute to the humble nobility of the Puerto Rican farmer and their families, who, in most cases, worked in Spain’s feudal encomienda system.

I am so proud to be of puertorriqueño descent.

To all my Puerto Rican family and friends, this is a must-see.
Kudos to https://www.youtube.com/@nuyoricangenealogy5448 for this work.

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Understanding Genealogy: Research Reports vs. Case Studies vs. Family Histories

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In my pursuit of consistent blogging, I’m sharing insights from a recent assignment in my online course, U.S. Genealogy Research, at Salt Lake City Community College.

The assignment was to read and contrast the research reports, case studies, and family histories.

There are some excellent examples to review and investigate at BCG—Board for Certification of Genealogists. I highly recommend to anyone inspired by genealogy to visit this site.

As genealogists, it is fundamental to understand the distinctions between research reports, case studies, and family histories. Each serves a unique purpose and adheres to different formats, audiences, and goals.

I chose to form my opinion on the different report styles from the following:

Research Report

Research reports are formal, client-oriented documents that present the results of a focused investigation into a specific genealogical question. Malissa Ruffner’s was an excellent example. Ruffner’s report reminds me of the writing style in my “professional” life chapter. It includes clearly stated research objectives, detailed descriptions of sources searched, and a log of positive and negative findings. The tone was very analytical and objective, with lots of tables. At times, the tone reminded me of a status report from a lawyer of everything discovered in preparation for court.

Case Study

Genealogical case studies are narrative-driven, scholarly reports that present proof arguments or summaries. Melissa Johnson’s narrative in the case study felt more personal. The writing took me on a journey. Unlike Ruffner’s, it was more like a Google Maps set of directions. The narrative emphasizes complex evidence correlation, conflict resolution, and logic-based conclusions. The case study is an excellent model for others conducting similar work.

Family History

Family histories are broad, often multi-generational narratives that blend genealogical data with historical context, storytelling, and social history. Unlike the previous two formats, family histories are written for a general audience, often for publication or family distribution. Bittner’s family history of the Buttner family did not disappoint. The tone makes the story and its characters (ancestors) unique—accessible, engaging, and often emotional. This form is certainly best for legacy preservation in the form of family books, blogs, or heritage documentaries.

What I learned

In summary, research reports are tactical and investigative, case studies are scholarly and evidentiary, and family histories are narrative and commemorative. They are all similar in that they expose evidence of research and form an evidence-based opinion/statement. But the communication style differs based on the audience.

The choice depends on the project’s scope, audience, and purpose. My preference is both the research report and the family history. The research report appeals to my inner geek to collect the information and dissect the evidence, while the family history is the style I want to implement to share with my family and leave a legacy.

I hope this inspires others to write about their genealogy research. Let me know in the comments if this post was helpful.
In the following months, I will post some of the chapters of my family research.

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Transform Your Genealogy Skills through Online Classes

Posted in Ancestry, Family History, Uncategorized, tagged , on March 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Enhancing My Genealogy Journey Through Education

Over the past six months, I have taken a couple of genealogy classes through Salt Lake City Community College, and the experience has been both enriching and transformative. These classes, priced at $425 for an eight-week all-online format, offer a structured approach to genealogy research and writing that has significantly impacted my work.

The Structure and Value of These Classes

The coursework demands time and effort, with no scheduled live meetings but plenty of reading, video lectures, discussion board interactions, and weekly essay assignments. One key aspect that I appreciate is the importance of deadlines—if assignments aren’t submitted on time, they aren’t graded, and you miss out on feedback. This feedback, in my opinion, is the most valuable part of the courses.

These classes are not easy, but they are highly rewarding. Not only are they more affordable than many other genealogy courses, but they also provide structure and discipline, helping me stay focused on my genealogy research. In fact, they have motivated me to be more intentional with my research and writing.

Upcoming Class: Genetic Genealogy

My next class, Genetic Genealogy, starts on March 18th. As DNA testing has become an invaluable tool in genealogical research, I am excited to deepen my understanding of how to interpret results and integrate them into my research. This is a field that continues to evolve, and I look forward to leveraging genetic data to solve family mysteries.

The Joy and Challenge of Genealogy Research

Like many genealogy enthusiasts, I know the thrill of searching FamilySearch or Ancestry.com, clicking through records, and suddenly uncovering a connection—it feels like striking gold! Since my retirement, I have been deeply focused on writing and compiling family histories for my relatives from Rincón, Puerto Rico. However, before taking these classes, my writing was overly factual—pages filled with names, dates, census records, and birth certificates, but lacking the compelling narratives that bring ancestors to life.

The Impact of the Writing Life Stories Class

One of the most transformative courses I took was Writing Life Stories. Coming from a background in tech and data science, I often approached genealogy with a heavily analytical mindset. This class challenged me to step out of that perspective and embrace storytelling. I learned to add depth, emotion, and context to the lives of my ancestors, making their stories more engaging and meaningful. This is a skill I hope to continue developing, and I plan to take another storytelling-focused class in the future to strengthen this muscle further.

Introduction to High-Tech Genealogy: A Deeper Dive

Currently, I am completing WTGN001 – Introduction to High-Tech Genealogy. While I have been using Family Tree Maker and Ancestry.com for over 20 years, I saw this class as an opportunity to expand my knowledge and familiarize myself with other genealogy software tools. However, I quickly realized that this class offers much more than just learning new software.

One of the most valuable lessons has been understanding the professional and rigorous process of genealogy research—learning how to maintain research logs, create proper citations, and compile detailed research reports. More importantly, it reinforced the genealogical research process, ensuring that my findings are well-documented and credible.

Beyond Personal Research: Aiming for Publication

While my primary goal is to create a comprehensive family history for my relatives, I also have aspirations to publish my research in a genealogical journal or magazine. These classes have helped me refine my methodology and approach, making my work more structured, credible, and engaging.

Final Thoughts

Genealogy is more than just a hobby—it’s a way of preserving and honoring the past. Through these courses, I have not only gained new research skills but also developed a deeper appreciation for storytelling. I look forward to continuing my genealogy education and sharing more about my journey with others passionate about uncovering their roots.

Have you taken any genealogy courses? What has helped you improve your research and storytelling skills? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

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My Genealogy Tools

Posted in Ancestry Research, tagged , on March 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Doing my family research of my family in Rincon, Puerto Rico has been a passion of mine for a very long time.
I want to share with you what I have used to capture information and photos to share with my family.

Research tools

All research is writing and collecting information. Having a career in data technology has helped me use my technical skills, passion for research, and family history and stories.

Family Tree Maker

I have used the Family Tree Maker software since the early 1990s, first on a Windows PC and most recently on my Mac.
I have written all my notes and copies of documents and stored them in the document. Over the years, I have had some “hiccups” with software upgrades. So, I used to update my private Ancestry.com trees. This way, I have a backup online and when I want to share with specific family members.

Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org

Once census record images started to be digitized in the early 2000s, I could scan through the images from home online rather than spending days at the US National Archives in Seattle or the local LDS Family History Center, manually viewing microfilm rolls looking for family.
I am very grateful to the Church of Latter-day Saints for scanning and preserving so all family history buffs can find pieces of our ancestors’ past.

Why do they do this? Check out the Harvard Divinity Article: Mormons, Genetics, & Digitized Data article.

Because Mormons are passionate about researching family history for religious reasons, I am able to search for records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org from Family Tree Maker.

I am careful to verify all the information I have found to make sure they are primary sources as well as validating family “stories” with facts.
I am also very mindful of privacy and ethical considerations when sharing sensitive family details to anyone.

Writing

Now that I have a lot of information on my family, I am starting my journey of writing some family history from the records and the stories of my family. Tools I use to help me write include Grammarly, Microsoft Word, and OneNote.

I am also leveraging Family Book Creator to output drafts of a “family book” to edit.

Photos

I have organized most of my family photos for the last few years by scanning, categorizing, and adding original dates and names to faces using various tools. I aim to digitize and share them with family to pass down the legacy to their families.

Photo Scanner

Last year, I purchased the Plustek Photo Scanner to scan the numerous family photos my husband recently inherited.
I save my photos to my local and cloud drive (I use iCloud) and upload them to Shutterfly.com to share with family.
I am fortunate to have scanned many photos from my mom with the help of my sister and brothers back in 2018. But this scanner has helped me scan newly found “old” photos.

Canva

Most recently, besides taking photos or scanning them, I created a calendar for photo books using Canva.
I shared the album with some family.
In 2025, I will create the site so interested family members can purchase the calendar to offset the publishing costs.

Adobe Lightroom Classic

Using Adobe Lightroom, I organized all my digital images into folders and annotated family photos with names. This helped me search photos of specific family members, compiling the images to display on their birthday month. This will also help me organize photos into family groups and share with family.

Photo Correcting

I am not gifted with photography or image-correcting skills. I do some basic photo editing with various Adobe products, like Photoshop, but I needed more help.
I discovered a photo editing app on MyHeritage.com called Reimagine. It uses artificial intelligence to auto-correct images.
It helps with some photos, but in some cases, the app got so creative that I did not recognize the real photo in the picture.

At some point, I will have some key photos professionally restored, like the photos above of my maternal grandparents from the 1940s/1950s.

Perseverance and Creativity

All these tools help me in my journey of cataloging and researching my family history, but the key tool I and we all have is to be persistent in our journey and commanding creativity to write and share the family history.

The current road block I am breaking through is writing the stories of my ancestors in sensitive, clear and truthful manner.
All families have “secrets” that they are ashamed or embarrassed about. But family history is about how as people and generations survived and grow from the painful experiences to joyful ones.
I found some interesting information from the free online RootsTech 2024 conference that has inspired my current writing.

Hope this helps you with preserving your family history!

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Unlocking Your Puerto Rican Roots: Why PERSI is a Genealogist’s Best Friend

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on February 27, 2024| 1 Comment »

My ongoing journey to uncover my family’s Puerto Rican ancestry has been exciting and daunting. As everyone researching their family history in towns in Puerto Rico is fully aware, locating sources is challenging. 

Why? Before the Spanish-American War, poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, and disease permeated the population. In reading some online editions of the La Gaceta, one of the earliest newspapers in Puerto Rico, I describe the writing as tone-deaf to the common people.

The Spanish government’s newspapers in the 1800s were more about the politics of Spain and Europe, targeted to the elite Spanish settlers and not of the island and the majority of the population, which were (and are) a mix of indigenous, African, European ancestry that were primarily illiterate. Nonetheless, this is an integral part of history to understand the island.

Stay tuned for my next blog post on accessing Puerto Rico’s newspapers for free.

A new tool I discovered is the Periodical Source Index, affectionately known as PERSI. Produced by the dedicated staff of The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library, PERSI stands as the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals. 

I knew of this source for quite a while, but my ignorance and bias made me BLIND to the resources it could have for my ancestry research.

With over 3.1 million citations, PERSI provides access to a vast array of readily available periodical sources, making it a must-have resource for new and experienced genealogists alike.

So, what makes PERSI so essential for your Puerto Rican genealogy research? Here are some of the key benefits I found:

  1. Comprehensive Coverage: PERSI boasts extensive citations from thousands of genealogy and local history publications. This breadth of coverage ensures that you’ll have access to various sources, including articles, records, and family histories related to Puerto Rican genealogy.
  2.  Focused Search Capabilities: Searching through PERSI is a breeze, thanks to its meticulous indexing. You can quickly narrow your search to specific geographic locations, surnames, or topics related to Puerto Rican genealogy, helping you find relevant information quickly and efficiently.
  3. Access to Rare and Unique Sources: PERSI indexes well-known genealogical publications and niche and local periodicals that may contain rare or unique information about your Puerto Rican ancestors. These sources can provide valuable insights and help you piece together your family’s story.
  4.  Facilitates Collaboration and Discovery: Genealogy is as much about collaboration as it is about discovery. PERSI’s comprehensive index connects you with other researchers and enthusiasts who may have valuable insights or information about your Puerto Rican ancestors, fostering community and shared discovery.
  5.  Enhances Your Research Experience: By providing access to a wealth of periodical sources, PERSI enriches your genealogical research experience, making it more rewarding and fulfilling. Whether you’re just starting or are a seasoned genealogist, PERSI can help you advance your research.

    Downside? It is just an index to the source to contact to get more information.
    But hey, back in the 1990s, I spent days in the family history centers and the National Archives in Seattle going through microfilm!
    So, a little more legwork is part of a genealogist’s job!

Navigating the PERSI Website for Puerto Rico documents

The following is an example of accessing PERSI and listing resources for my research

  1. Go to https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/
  2. Click on the image “Other Countries“
  3. It brings you to a list of countries. Look for Puerto Rico in the list.
  4. The following image shows the list of the categories of Puerto Rico records.

The following is a snapshot of the Publisher of the article with information.

In conclusion, PERSI is a powerful tool to significantly enhance your Puerto Rican genealogy research with sources you may not know.
As I get information, I will digitize my findings and share them!

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