Genealogy

Two friends having coffee together

Think of ChatGPT as a friend

By Hazel Thornton | April 25, 2025 |

As interested as I am in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and as pervasive as it is becoming in our daily lives, I seem to only manage one blog post per year about it. Suffice it to say that a lot can, and does, happen in a year! So, consider this your annual update. Progress! For example,…

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We’re All Related (and why it matters)

By Hazel Thornton | February 22, 2025 |

It’s ti-i-me! Time for RootsTech, that is (March 6-8, 2025). And time for my favorite feature, Relatives at RootsTech. The largest annual genealogy conference in the world is a hybrid event. If you register for the FREE virtual portion of the conference you will get a different experience, of course, than if you go in…

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The AI Gold Rush

By Hazel Thornton | May 14, 2024 |

The storm clouds are clearing. (It’s a reference to my previous post, The rainbow after the storm.) I’ve been able to start spending less time doing what I have to do, and more time doing what I want to do. And what I want to do is to continue my genealogy research, write more stories…

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Witches in the Family

By Hazel Thornton | February 16, 2024 |

Yikes! Witches? Really? Well, suspected and accused in court, yes! Convicted and hanged, thankfully not! . The Connecticut Witch Trials You’ve no doubt heard about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692-3 Massachusetts. But what about the Connecticut Witch Trials that predated them by 30 years? Yeah, me neither. The Salem trials were more numerous and…

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Selecting a Family Tree Template

By Hazel Thornton | February 19, 2023 |

Family tree templates can come in handy even if you’re not a genealogist. For example, many of the professional photo managers I know use them to help with organizing photos by family and by date. They also come in handy for medical, historical, relationship, inheritance, and land ownership purposes. Some saga-writing authors even use them…

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The holidays are for sharing family photos and stories

By Hazel Thornton | November 21, 2022 |

When do “the holidays” begin and end for you? For me, they start with Thanksgiving and end on January 1st. Halloween serves as a heads-up: The holidays are coming! No matter what holidays you celebrate, if you are lucky enough to have a family that enjoys getting together (in person or virtually), it’s the perfect…

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The Burial Plot Thickens: A Find a Grave Mystery

By Hazel Thornton | October 31, 2022 |

From time to time I accept requests through Find a Grave from people who do not live locally and who would like a volunteer to go take a photo of their relative‘s resting place for them. A few years ago I got a request for Pietro Domenici at Mount Calvary Cemetery here in Albuquerque. I…

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How and when to find a common ancestor

By Hazel Thornton | August 28, 2022 |

I finally did it! Did what? I figured out my relationship to Henry Clay, the 19th century American statesman. How? By finding our common ancestor. Once upon a time, my Grandma Clay told me we were related to Henry Clay, about whom I had learned in school. (That’s what we called my paternal great-grandmother Bettie…

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DNA tests: The gift that keeps on giving

By Hazel Thornton | May 23, 2022 |

Have you had your DNA tested? How often do you revisit your results? (This post is for people who have tested, or who want to test, their DNA for genealogy purposes. It’s not for those who don’t want to, or who are more interested in DNA for health purposes or traits.)

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Genealogy Volunteering Opportunities

By Hazel Thornton | March 28, 2022 |

  Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? This is very convenient for the genealogy community since the 1950 U.S. census is being released on April 1, 2022. (That’s when the mandatory 72-year privacy waiting period ends.) Here is a list of genealogy volunteer opportunities, and some of the benefits of participating.

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Hazel's Books

Book cover: What's a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy

What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy

Cover of "Go With the Flow! (The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook)"

Go With the Flow! (The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook)

Cover of "Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror"

Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror

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